First Images from the Vera Rubin Telescope Released

The largest astronomical instrument has been installed at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, located on Cerro Pachón in the Chilean Andes. Several other astronomical observatories are also situated in this area.

The newly released images captured breathtaking views of distant galaxies, gigantic dust clouds, and rapidly moving asteroids. For example, one can see the interstellar Lagoon Nebula and the Trifid Nebula, as well as the Virgo Cluster, located several thousand light-years from Earth. This became possible thanks to the telescope’s 8.4-meter mirror and the largest digital camera ever built in the history of astronomy.

The observatory itself was named after American astronomer Vera Rubin, who, in the mid-20th century, was the first to prove that dark matter exists and influences the motion of galaxies. The construction of the Rubin Observatory took more than 20 years. Its primary mission is to conduct a survey of the sky, which will continue over the next ten years. Every night, the telescope captures the starry sky and records even the slightest changes. The telescope is also capable of detecting asteroids. For example, during just ten hours of operation, it managed to capture over two thousand new objects, including some that are approaching Earth (don’t worry — they pose no threat).