Tag: first light
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Vera Rubin Observatory Spots the Fastest-Spinning Asteroid Yet and Its Enormous Size
New Milestones from a Chilean Mountaintop In the high deserts of northern Chile, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory has begun a new era of asteroid astronomy. Since its first light last spring, the giant telescope—nestled on a dark mountaintop with a sweeping view of the sky—has already delivered discoveries that excite planetary scientists and space…
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Vera Rubin Observatory Unveils Fastest-Spinning Asteroid Yet and Hints at New Era of Space Discovery
Introduction: A New Benchmark in Asteroid Spin Rates The Vera C. Rubin Observatory, perched on a Chilean mountaintop, has begun a new chapter in planetary science. As its powerful telescope conducts rapid, wide-area surveys of the night sky, astronomers have detected the fastest-spinning asteroid ever observed. The discovery not only sets a record for rotation…