The Vera C. Rubin Observatory has now seen first light. On a mountaintop in Chile, it begins a decade long survey later this year. In just the tests of setting up it has already made so many discoveries, and produced some stunning images.

Already, in just over 10 hours of test observations, the observatory has discovered 2,104 never-before-seen-asteroids, including seven near-Earth asteroids, none of which pose any danger.

I can’t wait to see the world of knowledge, and understanding of the universe, it will open up during its mission.

“It will be capable of really detecting things that actually change very rapidly,” says Sandrine Thomas, deputy director of Rubin Observatory and the observatory’s telescope and site project scientist. “That, in itself, will be unique to the world. No other telescope would be able to do that.”

And, what photography enthusiast wouldn’t get excited over a giant camera?!

It’s equipped with a specially-designed large telescope, as well as a car-sized digital camera that’s the biggest such camera in the world.

😲

via NPR.