First light (astronomy)
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In astronomy, first light is the first use of a new instrument, typically a telescope, to take an astronomical image after it has been constructed. This is often not the first viewing using the telesc
First released image from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, the Trifid and Lagoon nebulae, released on 23 June 2025.
First light image from the Kepler space telescope with two points of interest outlined. Celestial north is toward the lower left corner.
Kepler space telescope
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The Kepler space telescope was a space telescope launched by NASA in 2009 to discover Earth-sized planets orbiting other stars. Named after astronomer Johannes Kepler the spacecraft was launched into
First light (astronomy)
…First light image from the Kepler space telescope with two points of interest outlined. Celestial north is toward the lower left corner. In astronomy, first light is the first use of a new instrument…
Kepler in Astrotech's Hazardous Processing Facility
Kepler's search volume, in the context of the Milky Way
Kepler's launch on March 7, 2009
Interior illustration of Kepler