A fun trip through a little chunk of the universe
DESI, the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument, has mapped ~30% of the space in the universe and ~80% of time in that space, about 11 billion years. AI converted some of the data into this 3:25 video showing galaxies in a small part of the mapped universe passing by as one travels through space-time. Humans alone cannot piece the data together into a video like this. It's a rather cool little trip, I think. The DESI project is in its fourth year. The goal is to measure light from about 50 million galaxies and quasars by the end of its five-year mission. That would significantly expand its current map. As more data are collected and released, DESI’s 3D map will cover a larger portion of the sky and include more cosmic objects, further increasing its reach and scientific value. I sincerely hope that MAGA thugs don't cut funding for DESI. They can try, but maybe that would be illegal. It would need to be fought out in federal courts. SciAm posted this video at this lin...