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Amazing First Images From World’s Largest Digital Camera Revealed
IFL Science ^ | June 23, 2025 | Dr. Alfredo Carpineti

Posted on 06/23/2025 1:19:10 PM PDT by Red Badger

The first few images from the Rubin Observatory have dropped, and there are more coming later today.

A mosaic of 678 images taken over seven hours of observation shows the Trifid (top right in pink) and Lagoon (center) Nebulae.

Image Credit: NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory has officially unveiled its first images, and truly, it is going to be as revolutionary as people expect it to be. Thanks to its incredible eye on the cosmos, which is the largest digital camera in the world, the images are absolutely breathtaking – and we can’t even share the full 1 gigabyte image!

Three images have been revealed so far, with more coming later today via a livestreamed conference. Included in the ones already revealed is a spectacular view of the Trifid and Lagoon Nebulae, star-forming regions located thousands of light-years away in the Milky Way, shown above. The delicate tendrils of gas and dust, filled with delicate details and the countless stars all around them, make this not only a revolutionary scientific image but a clear work of art.

And if you like bridges of gas and dust, wait until you see the extragalactic images below. In two images capturing different aspects of the Virgo Cluster, the Rubin Observatory has been able to show how interacting galaxies are linked by these gassy connections before they eventually merge.

This image shows another small section of NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory's total view of the Virgo cluster. Visible are two prominent spiral galaxies (lower right), three merging galaxies (upper right), several groups of distant galaxies, many stars in the Milky Way galaxy and more. Galaxies as far as the eye can see, and yet just a small section of the observatory's full view of the Virgo cluster. Image Credit: NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory

The Virgo cluster is a group of at least 1,300 galaxies, but possibly twice as many, located around 54 million light-years away. In these breathtaking images from the Rubin Observatory, we see the interactions between the members of the cluster as well as countless galaxies located far beyond the extensive group.

In the first 10 hours of operation, the Rubin Observatory has captured millions of galaxies, and thousands of new asteroids – with more insights as well as images and video being released later today in the livestreamed event. starting at 11 am ET (3pm UTC).

"NSF-DOE Rubin Observatory will capture more information about our universe than all optical telescopes throughout history combined," Brian Stone, performing the duties of the NSF director, said in a statement. "Through this remarkable scientific facility, we will explore many cosmic mysteries, including the dark matter and dark energy that permeate the universe."

This image shows a small section of NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory's total view of the Virgo cluster. Bright stars in the Milky Way galaxy shine in the foreground, and many distant galaxies are in the background. Four galaxies, one of the enormous, are connected by a bridge of gas The images shows the subtle gas tendrils that form when galaxies interact with one another. Image Credit: NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory

The observatory is named after Dr Vera C. Rubin, the American astronomer whose work was foundational in proposing the existence of a mysterious substance that permeates the universe: dark matter. The observatory will create phenomenal movies of the universe and the most detailed map of the night sky to better understand dark matter, as well as dark energy, the other hypothetical but crucial aspect of our understanding of the cosmos.

The camera snaps a 3200-megapixel image – an area of the sky seven times wider than the full Moon – every 40 seconds, with a precision equivalent to seeing a golf ball from around 25 kilometers (15 miles) away. See you later today for more cutting-edge images and science!

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED 9 hours ago


TOPICS: Astronomy; History; Hobbies; Science
KEYWORDS: asteroid; asteroids; astronomy; catastrophism; chile; creation; observatory; rubin; science; slac; vera; veracrubin; xplanets
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To: Red Badger
Wiki has some great photos of the construction and completed telescope.

Also, some very helpful illustrations of the equpment.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vera_C._Rubin_Observatory

Night light over Vera C. Rubin Observatory with the brightening of the sky due to the artificial light that can be seen as clusters of bright lights on the horizon

21 posted on 06/23/2025 2:23:12 PM PDT by zeestephen (Trump Landslide? Kamala lost the election by 230,000 votes, in WI, MI, and PA.)
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To: Red Badger

beautiful! the more we see; the more we marvel. it’s all magnificent, Lord Jesus.


22 posted on 06/23/2025 2:28:26 PM PDT by dadfly
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To: Red Badger

The stars, like dust...


23 posted on 06/23/2025 2:33:13 PM PDT by GingisK
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To: Red Badger
So what you're saying is... Van Gogh nailed it, even without a telescope.


24 posted on 06/23/2025 2:33:52 PM PDT by jerod (Nazis were essentially Socialist in Hugo Boss uniforms... Get over it!)
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To: Magnum44
If we cant find any example of that, then it requires an act of God.

I'm going to assume that God would not Create that any homes without populating a whole lot of them.

25 posted on 06/23/2025 2:35:49 PM PDT by GingisK
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To: jerod

https://youtu.be/oxHnRfhDmrk?feature=shared


26 posted on 06/23/2025 2:37:22 PM PDT by TexasGator (1FDD logo About Issues Projects Products Connect Subscribe Invest June 19, 2025 | Insight '1-1111 -)
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To: ScottHammett

Amen!
Watched a movie titled “TIME CHANGER” last week.
One line struck me so profoundly that I paused the movie to sleep on the thought.

“In the milkyway galaxy there are billions of stars and there are trillions of galaxys in the universe. In all this, God still knows my name”

Profound love right there.


27 posted on 06/23/2025 2:59:09 PM PDT by Z28.310 (does not comply well with others)
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To: dragnet2
Beautiful! The Triffid was one of the first objects I observed with my first serious telescope, a 6” maksutov. The skies around here were a lot darker back then…

Looking forward to more jaw-dropping photos from the Vera Rubin Observatory!

28 posted on 06/23/2025 3:03:04 PM PDT by telescope115 (I NEED MY SPACE!!! 🔭)
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To: GingisK

I’m not assuming one way or the other what God would do. The scripture is all we have to assess that.


29 posted on 06/23/2025 3:20:29 PM PDT by Magnum44 (...against all enemies, foreign and domestic... )
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To: telescope115

30 posted on 06/23/2025 3:22:22 PM PDT by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
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To: Magnum44
The scripture is all we have to assess that.

And, that doesn't say one way or the other.

31 posted on 06/23/2025 3:22:37 PM PDT by GingisK
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To: telescope115

Yes, I could see it with my Questar (3.5” Mak).


32 posted on 06/23/2025 3:24:19 PM PDT by FroggyTheGremlim (Hail to Pitt!)
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To: zeestephen

Wiki...

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory, formerly known as the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), is an astronomical observatory in Chile.

The observatory is located on the El Peñón peak of Cerro Pachón, a 2,682-meter-high (8,799 ft) mountain in Coquimbo Region, in northern Chile


33 posted on 06/23/2025 3:29:47 PM PDT by newfreep ("There is no race problem...just a problem race")
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To: GingisK

Genesis begins: In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth…

Heavens plural, Earth singular.


34 posted on 06/23/2025 3:34:40 PM PDT by Magnum44 (...against all enemies, foreign and domestic... )
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To: Red Badger

really cool

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vera_C._Rubin_Observatory


35 posted on 06/23/2025 4:04:44 PM PDT by algore
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To: Magnum44

That clearly does not say that only the Earth is populated. It doesn’t even remotely deal with that notion.


36 posted on 06/23/2025 5:17:49 PM PDT by GingisK
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To: Red Badger

Life-size model of the Rubin Observatory focal plane array. The array's diameter is 64 cm, and will provide 3.2 gigapixels per image. The image of the Moon (30 arcminutes) is present to show the scale of the field of view. The model is held by Suzanne Jacoby, the Rubin Observatory communications director.

37 posted on 06/23/2025 5:46:54 PM PDT by Nateman (Democrats did not strive for fraud friendly voting merely to continue honest elections.)
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To: Magnum44
Find any example of life springing from lifelessness..

Depends on how 'life' is defined. If you define it as 'self replicating information' then a computer virus fits. A new form of life that is the accidental product of computer nerds just trying to make trouble.

38 posted on 06/23/2025 5:51:23 PM PDT by Nateman (Democrats did not strive for fraud friendly voting merely to continue honest elections.)
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To: Red Badger

Microscope looking at covid germs or something.


39 posted on 06/23/2025 6:17:04 PM PDT by rktman (Destroy America from within? Check! WTH? Enlisted USN 1967 to end up with this💩? 🚫💉! 🇮🇱👍!)
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To: FroggyTheGremlim

Mine was a Quantum 6. The optics (at least mine) were not quite as good as a Questar’s, but I had a lot of fun with it. My Stellarvue 115 f/7 has much better optics.


40 posted on 06/23/2025 6:22:07 PM PDT by telescope115 (I NEED MY SPACE!!! 🔭)
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