The world’s largest digital camera is now operational, capturing unprecedented views of the cosmos. The Vera C. Rubin Observatory has commenced its extensive sky survey, focusing on the southern hemisphere. Over the next 10 years, it will capture hundreds of nightly images from its location on a Chilean mountaintop.

Researchers aim to use Rubin’s observations to develop a comprehensive census of the universe. The telescope will map billions of stars within the Milky Way, along with countless galaxies beyond. By taking rapid, repeated images of the same sky areas, scientists can identify fainter celestial objects previously overlooked.

Phil Marshall, the observatory’s deputy director of operations, expressed optimism about the project. He emphasized the global scientific community’s access to this extensive dataset and the potential to study the universe in unprecedented ways.

Last year, Rubin released its first images, including vibrant depictions of the Trifid and Lagoon nebulas, located thousands of light-years from Earth—a light-year measures about 6 trillion miles (9.7 trillion kilometers). Since that time, the equipment has been fine-tuned to achieve the necessary depth and precision for the decade-long survey.

The imagery collected could provide insights into the formation and clustering of galaxies over billions of years and the genesis of the universe. Funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and U.S. Department of Energy, the observatory pays homage to astronomer Vera Rubin. Rubin’s pioneering work hinted at dark matter’s existence within the universe.

Scientists hope this endeavor will uncover evidence of dark matter, along with insights into dark energy—an enigmatic force influencing the universe’s expansion.

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