The newest Rubin Observatory image is a mosaic of spirals, ellipticals, merging systems, and distant red galaxies, with only a handful of bright Milky Way stars in the foreground. The clarity lets astronomers peer deep into the cosmos, revealing a tapestry of the universe’s most distant objects.

Built with the world’s largest 3.2‑gigapixel LSST Camera on an 8.4‑meter telescope, the image covers the famed COSMOS field. By stacking hundreds of exposures, it now contains more than half a million galaxies and over 50,000 stars, delivering a depth never before achieved for this region.

The COSMOS field is prized because it lies away from the crowded Milky Way plane, allowing unobstructed views of billions‑year‑old light. Rubin’s repeated observations add both depth and time‑domain data, turning the field into a laboratory for studying galaxy evolution and transient events.

Released as part of Early Data Preview 2, the 3000‑square‑degree co‑added image demonstrates Rubin’s 10‑year Legacy Survey plan. It also honors Chilean communities affected by recent storms, underscoring the observatory’s commitment to its host nation.