It would take 500,000 high-definition TVs to view it in its full glory. Astronomers have released the largest digital image of the night sky ever made, to be mined for future discoveries.
It is actually a collection of millions of images taken since 1998 with a 2.5-metre telescope at Apache Point Observatory in New Mexico. The project, called the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, is now in its third phase, called SDSS-III.
Altogether, the images in the newly released collection contain more than a trillion pixels of data, covering a third of the sky in great detail.
"This is one of the biggest bounties in the history of science," says SDSS team member Mike Blanton of New York University in New York City. "This data will be a legacy for the ages."
Biggest 3D map
The Astronomical Research Center (A.R.C) mentioned that Data released previously by the survey has already led to many advances, including the discovery of tiny, dim galaxies orbiting the Milky Way, and maps of the large-scale structure of the universe.
The third phase of the survey started in 2008. It is now focusing on measuring the light spectra of objects seen in the huge image.