Scientists release biggest 2D map of the universe
Points and comments are a snapshot, not live.
DESI team releases a 5.6-trillion-pixel 2D map covering 75% of the sky.
The DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys combined 263,407 exposures from three ground-based telescopes into a 5.6-trillion-pixel map containing nearly 4 billion celestial objects. The map covers roughly 75% of the sky in visible and near-infrared light. It serves as the foundation for the DESI survey, which completed its original 3D map ahead of schedule in April 2026. DESI results have shown hints that dark energy's impact may be weakening over time. The Legacy Surveys data will also help train AI tools for analyzing petabyte-scale astronomical data.
What commenters are saying
Many commenters expressed awe at the scale, calling the map beautiful and humbling. Several shared the interactive viewer link and data download options (about 16 TB uncompressed). A few noted the map is 2D because it records positions but not distances; spectroscopy adds the third dimension via redshift. One commenter contrasted the map with a far smaller logarithmic map of the universe. Others discussed the upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and funding concerns. A minor thread joked about star alignments spelling out text.