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The first test images of a groundbreaking observatory that is named after groundbreaking astronomer Vera Rubin, have conquered the light of millions of distant stars and galaxies on an unprecedented scale – and are expected to reveal thousands of unseen asteroids.
While the National Science Foundation has so far released only a few images and a short video clip of the first images of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, more images and videos are expected to be made with the largest camera ever built at 11.30 am on the YouTube channel of the desk. The facility is jointly funded by the National Science Foundation and the Office of Science of the Department of Energy.
The new images represent just over 10 hours of test observations and offer a short preview of the decade -long mission of the observatory to explore the mysteries of the universe like never before.
“NSF-Do Rubin Observatory will conquer more information about our universe than combined all optical telescopes throughout history,” said Staff Brian Stone of the National Science Foundation, which is currently performing the tasks of the NSF director (because the position is currently vacant).
A stunning first look
One of the first performance of the observatory was the discovery of 2,104 asteroids, including seven asteroids near the earth, which have never been seen in our solar system before. None of the newly found asteroids in the vicinity of the earth pose a risk to our planet, according to scientists from the Observatory. Images of the asteroids are expected to be shared later on Monday.
While ground and space-based telescopes spot around 20,000 asteroids every year, Rubin Observatory is expected to be millions of space shots within the first two years, according to the National Science Foundation. The telescope is also considered the most effective way to recognize interstellar comets or asteroids that can travel through our solar system.
The mirror design, the sensitive camera and the telescope speed of the observatory are the first of its kind, allowing Rubin to spot small, weak objects such as asteroids. The observatory will also constantly make thousands of images every night, which means that changes in brightness are cataloged to reveal hidden space pots such as near-earth asteroids that, according to the foundation, can be on a collision course with our planet.
A sneak peek shared Monday contains a video made of more than 1,100 images that are recorded by the observatory that starts with a detailed look at two galaxies. The video then zooms out to present around 10 million galaxies that were spotted by the wide view of the camera – about 0.05% of the 20 billion galaxies that Rubin will observe for 10 years.
The observatory team also released a mosaic of the Trifid and Lagune Nevels, those star -forming areas that look like clouds in the Sagectarius Constellation. The mosaic, consisting of 678 separate images taken over only seven hours, laid vague and previously invisible details such as clouds of gas and dust in the mists, which are away from the earth for several thousand light years.
This composite image combines 678 separate images to display vague details such as clouds of gas and dust in the trifidnevel (top right) and the Nebula lagoon. – NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory
The first images were selected to present the huge field of vision of the telescope, which makes detailed glimpse of interacting galaxies possible, as well as wide views on millions of galaxies, Dr. Yusra Alsayyad, Deputy Associate Director of the Data Management sub -System for the Rubin Observatory.
“It has such a wide field of vision and such a fast cadence that you have that Movielike aspect in the night sky,” said Dr. Sandrine Thomas, Telescope project scientist for the Rubin Observatory.
The observatory, located in the Andes at the top of Cerro Pachón in Chile, is almost completed after about two decades of work. The facility is set to reach ‘first light’ or to make the first scientific observations of the heaven of the southern hemisphere with its 8.4 meter (27.5-foot) Simonyi Survey Telescope, on July 4. The location of the telescope of the telescope in the southern hemisphere provides a large picture of the galactic center of the Milky Way, said Edward Ajhar, Rubin Observatory officer.
The region in Central Chile has also been home to other observatories -based observatories and is favored for astronomical observations because it produces dry air and dark skies.
The main objective of the observatory is the Legacy study of space and time, an ultrahigh-definition film of the universe made throughout the air to scan the few nights for 10 years to catch a time-lapse compilation of decorative people and comets, exploding stars and surprised constituents as they change. The survey is expected to start between four and seven months after the first light.
“(Rubin) Will Enable US to Explore Galaxies, Stars in the Milky Way, Objects in The Solar System, and All in a Truly New Way. Since We take Images Of The Night Sky So Quickly and So Often, (IT) Will Detect Millions of Changing Objects Literally,” SAIDS “SAIGING” SAUGINGS ” Aaron Roodman, Professor of Partic Physics and Astrophysics at Stanford University’s Slac National Accelerator Laboratory in California.
Roodman was responsible for the assembly and testing of the Rubin Observatory camera.
The NSF-Do Vera C. Rubin Observatory, located on a mountain top in Chile, will bring about a revolution in the way astronomers explore the cosmos. – Aliro Pizarro Díaz/NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory
Solve cosmic mysteries
The possibilities of Rubin to recognize interesting phenomena will also enable it to be a “discovery machine” that can identify interesting areas of attention for other telescopes, Roodman said. The observatory can also make the detection of previously unknown types of heaven objects possible.
The namesake of the telescope, considered one of the most influential female astronomers, provided part of the first proof that dark matter existed. In honor of Rubin, the telescope is expected to continue its groundbreaking work.
“Because of this remarkable scientific facility, we will explore a lot of cosmic mysteries, including the dark matter and dark energy that penetrate the universe,” Stone said.
Dark matter is an enigmatic substance that forms the cosmos, while dark energy is a power that, according to NASA, accelerates the expansion rate of the universe. Although it is thought that they make up for most of the cosmos, both are both impossible to observe immediately, but can be detected because of their gravity effects.
“Rubin has a huge potential to help us learn what dark energy really is and how the expansion of the universe also accelerates here,” said Roodman. “Rubin’s unique ability to see billions of galaxies and to repeatedly display them for 10 years, will literally enable us to see the universe in a new way.”
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