The Digital Press

A new telescope in Chile, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, has released its first images, showcasing its extraordinary ability to explore deep space and detect numerous asteroids near Earth.

Why it matters: The telescope will vastly expand our knowledge of the universe, detecting asteroids and potentially discovering a ninth planet.

The big picture: It will continuously survey the southern night sky for 10 years, generating the largest astronomical data set ever.

Stunning stat: In 10 hours, it detected 2,104 new asteroids and seven near-Earth objects, far exceeding previous yearly totals.

Commenters say: Users celebrate the telescope’s innovative technology and data potential, while some emphasize the importance of long-term analysis and dark sky preservation.