The first images from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory: “illuminated gas and scattered stars”
Vera-Rubin, the new telescope installed in Chile, released the first images from its astronomical camera, the largest ever built, on June 23. These images, which illustrate its ability to peer into the dark depths of the universe, are a prelude to a ten-year study that promises to expand human knowledge of astronomy tenfold, the press enthuses.
“What do the photos taken by the largest digital camera ever built look like? Now we know,” writes Astronomy . The science magazine's website celebrates the release on June 23 by the Chilean Vera C. Rubin Observatory, part of the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy, of the first dazzling images of nebulae located light-years away.
"This vibrant, dynamic image, where illuminated gases coexist with scattered stars, shows the Trifid Nebula (M20) and the Lagoon Nebula (M8)," the American scientific website describes. They are located some 5,200 light-years away, in the constellation of Sagittarius.
“This image is not a single shot, but a combination of 678 shots taken over a little over seven hours,” the site adds. For each of them to be displayed at its original size, “it would take 400 4K high-definition television screens.”
The second image released is of the “Virgo Cluster,” named for its location in the constellation Virgo .
“It is located some 65 million light-years from Earth, spanning tens of millions of years
Courrier International
