By Kurtis Archer | 2025-07-23

A powerful ground-based observatory has begun creating a vivid time-lapse video of the night sky.

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is tasked with mapping a large portion of the night sky in the southern hemisphere over 10 years, a project known as the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST).

Based in Chile, the facility is primarily funded by the United States and is a joint initiative between the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Department of Energy (DOE).

Traditional telescopes focus on detailed observations of individual celestial objects, but the observatory will capture wide-field images in high resolution of the entire southern sky every few nights for a decade -- creating a high-definition time-lapse movie of the universe.

The first images from the observatory were released to the public on June 23.

In just over 10 hours of test observations, the observatory discovered more than 2,100 new asteroids, NPR reported.

"There's just so much going on in each of these images," Rachel Webster, astrophysicist at the University of Melbourne, told ABC News Australia on June 23.

While other telescopes are as detailed, they are not capable of the wide-angle images.

"Here, we've got the depth of a big telescope with a very big field of view, and that's very exciting," Webster added.

Exploring cosmic mysteries

The Rubin Observatory features a Simonyi Survey Telescope equipped with a three-mirror design. Its 8.4-meter-diameter primary mirror enables it to view the entire night sky at once.

By repeatedly imaging the entire southern sky, Rubin will detect and track objects that move or change in brightness.

The LSST Camera is the world's largest digital camera, with 3.2-gigapixel resolution and the ability to generate about 20 terabytes of data each night.

It is designed to capture every visible change in the sky with unprecedented detail and speed. The data gathered by the end of the first year will exceed those gathered by all other optical observatories combined.

The observatory "will capture more information about our universe than all optical telescopes throughout history combined," Brian Stone, acting director of the NSF, said in a statement on June 23.

"Through this remarkable scientific facility, we will explore many cosmic mysteries, including the dark matter and dark energy that permeate the universe."

Researchers expect the observatory to help map the distribution of galaxies and their influence on the distortion of space-time, providing insights into the history of the universe and its expansion.

It is also expected to discover millions of objects in our own solar system, including near-Earth asteroids, Kuiper Belt objects and the potential Planet Nine -- a hypothetical, massive planet beyond the orbit of Neptune.

It is estimated that Rubin will detect about 90% of potentially dangerous asteroids, providing critical information for planetary defense systems.

The Rubin Observatory will be able to detect events such as supernovae and gamma-ray bursts and could even possibly see black holes tearing apart stars, enabling real-time alerts of these dynamic phenomena.

By observing billions of stars, Rubin will provide an unparalleled map of our galaxy, helping researchers understand the Milky Way's formation, structure and interactions with nearby galaxies.

'Cornerstone of knowledge'

The Rubin Observatory's combination of wide-field imaging, rapid survey speed, and powerful camera will provide a transformative view of the universe, allowing astronomers to address fundamental questions about its nature and evolution.

"I trust that the stunning images and staggering amount of data the observatory will produce will support exceptional scientific efforts around the world," Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, said during a news conference announcing the release of the first images.

"The Rubin Observatory is an investment in our future, which will lay down a cornerstone of knowledge today on which our children will proudly build tomorrow," stated Kratsios.

"The movie has started, the camera is running and we're going to see our cosmos unfold before us," Chris Wright, secretary of DOE, said.