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
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Thank you very much and God bless you.
PING!........................
And here I was expecting something from the new Apple iPad Max-squared.
Look at those galaxies. How could we possibly be alone?
BILLIONS AND BILLIONS.......................
Stunningly beautiful.
If the possibility of life around any star is 1 in 3x10^23, then we’re alone.
The Heavens declare the glory of God
Awesomely beautiful.
This rates a double “Holy Cow!!”
You’re right. We’re not alone.
As far as carbon based life the way we know it, alone may be the case until someone can show how at the chemical level in a sterile environment, the first living cell spontaneously formed.
“When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?”
“ the new Apple iPad Max-squared”
The original name was the Apple Maxi-Pad but somebody caught it in time.
The star-forming Trifid Nebula, also known as Messier 20, as imaged by NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory. The Trifid Nebula is an unusual combination of an open cluster of stars, an emission nebula (the pink region), a reflection nebula (the blue region), and a dark nebula (the dark regions).Credit: RubinObs/NOIRLab/SLAC/NSF/DOE/AURA
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Here's my Trifid Nebula - M20, at approximately 5,000 light years distance.
Credit; FAFO Observatory
Find any example of life springing from lifelessness. If we cant find any example of that, then it requires an act of God.
More like Trillions and Trillions!
Bkmk
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