ORLANDO, Fla. — Duke researchers say they have played a key role in developing a groundbreaking telescope that is now capturing the most detailed images of the universe ever taken.
The Vera Rubin Observatory, which is equipped with the largest digital camera ever built, released its first images Monday during a live-streamed event at Wallace Wade Stadium.
“We’re going to get this unbelievable map of the sky and how it changes over time,” said Chris Walter from Duke.
The telescope, located in Chile’s high desert and featuring a 3,200-megapixel camera, is designed to survey the entire sky every three nights over the course of ten years. The telescope will create a comprehensive map of the universe.
Duke researchers contributed to designing key components of the telescope’s hardware and software, which are used to detect phenomena ranging from dark matter to exploding stars and incoming asteroids.
The data collected by the telescope is open-source, making it freely available to scientists, students, and curious stargazers alike.
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