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Giant Camera Sees Universe Anew
10 Jul
Summary
- World's largest digital camera begins nightly cosmic recordings.
- Observatory discovered thousands of unseen asteroids during testing.
- A decade-long survey will build a living record of celestial change.
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile has commenced its ambitious Legacy Survey of Space and Time. This observatory features the world's largest digital camera, a 6,600-pound instrument capturing new cosmic images every 40 seconds.
Over the next decade, this camera will observe each part of the sky approximately 800 times, creating a dynamic record of the universe. The project, funded by US government agencies, has already identified over 11,000 previously unknown asteroids during its early testing phases.
Scientists anticipate using the collected data to map the solar system and the Milky Way, and to study dark matter and dark energy. This comprehensive astronomical archive will be made publicly accessible, offering unprecedented insights into celestial phenomena.
