We are entering a new era of cosmic exploration. The new Vera C Rubin Observatory in Chile will transform astronomy with its extraordinary ability to map the universe in breathtaking detail. It is set to reveal secrets previously beyond our grasp.

With a spectacular array of galaxies and nebulas, the ambitious telescope begins its 10-year survey of the cosmos.

Vera Cooper grew up gazing at the night sky from the window of a D.C. townhouse in the 1930s, when her teachers told the aspiring astronomer to avoid science.