Thirteen years of work and 263,407 individual photos have resulted in the largest 2D map of the universe ever produced. Scientists from the NSF NOIRLab have released the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys, a collection that covers three-quarters of the visible sky and catalogs nearly four billion distinct celestial objects including stars, galaxies, and black holes.
The project utilized the Mayall and Blanco telescopes, along with the Dark Energy Camera. This instrument, capable of capturing massive amounts of data, processed 5.6 trillion pixels to create this reference. Over 160 researchers contributed to this final product, which provides a foundational view of the cosmos for future study.
The map is now available for public access. Researchers consider it a vital tool for current astronomical studies, as more than 1,800 papers already cite data from earlier versions of the survey. It allows scientists to view the night sky in both visible and near-infrared light, providing a clearer look at objects otherwise obscured by dust and stars.
While the current project focuses on a comprehensive 2D representation, it serves as a critical precursor for 3D mapping efforts. The information gathered here helps identify targets for tracking the expansion history of the universe and dark energy research. This data will remain a primary resource for astronomy for many years.