#observatories

This image combines 678 images taken by the Vera C Rubin Observatory over seven hours. Combining many images in this way reveals otherwise faint or invisible details, such as the clouds of gas and dust of the Trifid nebula (top) and the Lagoon nebula, thousands of light-years from Earth.

This new observatory is named in honor of trailblazing astronomer Vera C Rubin, who found conclusive evidence of vast quantities of invisible material known as dark matter.

Understanding the nature of dark matter, dark energy, and other large-scale cosmic mysteries is a central focus of the new observatory's mission. Dark energy is the mysterious and colossally powerful force that appears to be pushing galaxies away from each other at an accelerating rate. Although dark matter and dark energy collectively comprise 95% of the Universe, their properties remain unknown.

Aloha kākou. ‘Oumuamua, the name means ‘scout’ in the Hawaiian ʻŌlelo (language). Discovered traveling through the solar system in 2017 by the Pan-STARRS telescope on Haleakala, Maui, its origins still remain a mystery. Speculation as to what it is ranges from a comet to an interstellar spaceship. What made ‘Oumuamua an object of curiosity was its flight path through the solar system. It seemed…