Your Classical Companion
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

This Giant Telescope Will Reveal The Universe in Unbelievable Detail

Season 52 | 5m 59s

Equipped with an 8.4-meter mirror and a 3.2-billion-pixel camera—the largest digital camera ever built for astronomy—the Rubin Observatory is poised to revolutionize how we see the cosmos. In just 10 hours of test observations, the telescope detected over 2,100 new asteroids.

National Corporate funding for NOVA is provided by Carlisle Companies. Major funding for NOVA is provided by the NOVA Science Trust, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.
Extras
Inside the high-stakes showdown between President Trump and the courts over presidential power.
Sixty million American bison once thundered across the prairies of North America.
July 7, 2025 - PBS News Hour full episode
You probably won’t win big playing the Lottery but your brain may want to keep trying.
New book '2024' offers inside look at twists and turns of the presidential election
Who will be affected by Trump administration's Medicaid, SNAP work requirements
How local groups are aiding recovery efforts after devastating Texas floods
Tamara Keith and Amy Walter on disaster response and Musk's new party
News Wrap: Man killed after opening fire on Border Patrol facility in Texas
Texas flooding death toll surpasses 100 as hope for finding survivors fades
Latest Episodes
All
  • All
  • NOVA Season 52
  • NOVA Season 51
  • NOVA Season 50
  • NOVA Season 49
  • NOVA Season 48
  • NOVA Season 47
  • NOVA Season 46
  • NOVA Season 45
  • NOVA Season 44
  • NOVA Season 43
  • NOVA Season 42
  • NOVA Season 41
  • NOVA Season 40
  • NOVA Season 39
  • NOVA Season 38
  • NOVA Season 37
  • NOVA Season 36
  • NOVA Season 35
  • NOVA Season 34
  • NOVA Season 33
  • NOVA Season 32
  • NOVA Season 31
  • NOVA Season 30
  • NOVA Season 28
  • NOVA Season 27
  • NOVA Season 23
Forensic science is put to the test after the first-ever staged multi-vehicle pileup.
A first-of-its-kind experiment aims to stage a multi-vehicle pileup to gain new data on car safety.
After centuries of pseudoscience, researchers examine the causes of racial health disparities.
Follow scientists in a quest to understand how complex forest ecosystems can help cool our planet.
Explore key military technologies in the American colonies’ fight for freedom.
Follow the investigation into the deadly container ship collision that closed the Port of Baltimore.
Archaeologists uncover new truths about Pompeii, a wealthy Roman playground with dark secrets.
A long-lost ancient cemetery opens the door to a unique period in Egyptian history.
Fossils reveal how birds survived the killer asteroid and became today’s only living dinosaurs.
Can science reveal the secrets of mysterious objects seen in our skies?