Adam Bolton

Astronomers have tested the new Vera C. Rubin telescope in Chile, much like adjusting the focus and aperture on a brand-new camera. The first images covered a patch of sky the size of 60 full Moons, and immediately revealed millions of galaxies and stars. The imaging was done in various colors, from invisible ultraviolet to thermal infrared.

The Universe is a giant labyrinth of curved mirrors. The mass of galaxies and clusters distorts the light of distant quasars, as if toying with our perception of the cosmos. Hidden in this hall of mirrors is the key to the greatest mystery: dark energy, which is pushing space apart ever faster.