An advanced observatory in the Chilean Andes has captured its first images, offering an extraordinary glimpse at distant galaxies, fast-moving asteroids, and cosmic dust clouds.
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory, located atop Cerro Pachón, officially launched its 10-year sky survey with what scientists describe as the most detailed moving picture of the universe ever attempted.
The first images, including dazzling scenes of glittering galaxies, mark a major step in space observation. Researchers say this project will provide an unprecedented view of how the universe evolves, recording everything from exploding stars and comets to unknown interstellar objects.
These early observations focused on the Virgo cluster, a historically significant region where early clues about the universe’s hidden matter first emerged. The cluster was part of a 1930s study that led to the theory of dark matter.
In its initial 10-hour sky scan, the observatory detected more than 2,100 previously unseen asteroids in our solar system, including seven near-Earth asteroids. Experts have confirmed that none of them poses any threat to Earth.
“I’m absolutely blown away. Just look, it’s teeming with gorgeous glittering galaxies!” said Prof. Catherine Heymans, astronomer royal for Scotland and professor at the University of Edinburgh. “We’ve never looked at the universe in this way before.”
The Vera Rubin Observatory in Chile has just unveiled its first breathtaking images — revealing our Milky Way and faraway galaxies in stunning, never-before-seen detail. Among them: a mesmerizing composite of the Trifid Nebula and the Lagoon Nebula — two star-forming regions… pic.twitter.com/inhRnB947y
— DW News (@dwnews) June 23, 2025
Standing 18 stories high, the facility is equipped with the world’s largest digital camera. With 3,200 megapixels, the camera produces images so large that 400 ultra-high-definition screens would be required to display just one in full. Many astronomers viewed the images through planetariums to experience their full detail.
The Rubin Observatory will scan the southern sky every few days, capturing a constant stream of images. These will be layered over time, allowing scientists to spot even the faintest and most distant objects, potentially including the long theorized Planet Nine, believed to orbit far beyond Neptune.
The observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time is expected to collect roughly 500 petabytes of data. Researchers estimate it will generate trillions of measurements of billions of cosmic objects and chart approximately 20 billion previously unseen galaxies, contributing significantly to the understanding of the universe’s structure and growth.
The United Kingdom is one of three global partners supporting Rubin’s data processing. The project is expected to produce 1.5 million images of about 10 billion stars and galaxies.
Scientists will also use the images to study dark matter and dark energy—mysterious forces thought to make up 95% of the universe. By observing millions of supernovae, researchers aim to gain a better understanding of how the universe is expanding.
The telescope is expected to identify approximately 90,000 near-Earth asteroids over the next decade, more than doubling current counts.
Although satellites like SpaceX’s Starlink may leave streaks across images, software will automatically detect and remove these, keeping the scientific data intact.
