Press Release: Groundbreaking Images Captured by World’s Largest Camera
Menlo Park, California – The debut images from the world’s largest camera, developed at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, have been unveiled, offering an unprecedented glimpse into deep space. Built at a cost of $168 million, this 6,600-pound camera features a five-foot lens and has been a decade in the making. Last spring, it was transported to a remote observatory in Chile, situated 8,900 feet above sea level.
The 3,200-megapixel camera, described by project manager Travis Lange as capable of “revolutionizing astronomy,” is now attached to the giant telescope at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory. The first images showcase a section of the Virgo cluster, revealing prominent spiral galaxies and distant celestial phenomena.
This cutting-edge technology aims to photograph an estimated 20 billion galaxies, providing astronomers with sweeping panoramas of colliding stars, asteroids, and critical insights into cosmic mysteries like dark energy and dark matter. SLAC is renowned for its innovative tools that explore the tiniest particles, and the new camera is set to deepen our understanding of the universe.
The world eagerly anticipates further revelations from this astronomical breakthrough.
Original Release Date: June 23, 2025
Note: The image is for illustrative purposes only and is not the original image of the presented article.
