Scientists Create Largest 2D Map of the Universe

After 13 years of observations and data processing, astronomers have released the largest two-dimensional map of the universe ever assembled, "offering a sweeping new view of nearly 4 billion celestial objects across roughly three-quarters of the sky," reports Space.com. From the report: The new map, created by the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Legacy Imaging Surveys team, contains a staggering 5.6 trillion pixels and combines more than 263,000 telescope exposures collected over more than a decade. The observations span visible and near-infrared wavelengths, providing an enormous portrait of stars, galaxies and other cosmic phenomena across the sky, according to a statement from the National Science Foundation (NSF) NOIRLab. "It's part of the fabric of astronomy research now," David Schlegel, co-lead of the Legacy Surveys and a scientist at the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, said in a statement. "When you're working with astronomical objects today, you often start by pulling up the Legacy Imaging Viewer to see what you're looking at."

Flat Earth Society indoctrination

[thesjaakspoiler]

They are trying to make us believe that the Universe is flat too!
Don't fall for it, even though your phone screen is flat too.

Re:

[hcs_$reboot]

Well, you cannot say for sure that the Universe is spherical.

Re:

[thegreatemu]

the universe has a curvature very close to zero, so it is indeed flat.

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[haruchai]

from my perspective, the curvature of the Earth is very close to zero too

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[Locke2005]

It's 2D because it's polar coordinates without r! Why is that so hard to understand?

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[ffkom]

Extending on the flat earth theory, we should start a movement proclaiming that the Universe is only 1-dimensional. We could call ours the "string theory".

Re:

[radarskiy]

Locally, the universe *is* flat. For most points in the universe the map representation is more local that the real location, so a map should be even MORE flat.

2D Map of the Universe

[fahrbot-bot]

Khan would love this. I heard, "his pattern indicates two-dimensional thinking..."

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[Cpt_Kirks]

I understand that refererence.

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[Tarlus]

I sincerely hope that Cpt_Kirks would understand a Star Trek reference

Re: 2D Map of the Universe

[LindleyF]

And I understand THAT reference.

Let them have their moment

[Sneftel]

2D map of the universe

Oh geez. Listen, nobody tell them yet, okay? They worked really hard on this.

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[nightflameauto]

2D map of the universe

Oh geez. Listen, nobody tell them yet, okay? They worked really hard on this.

They were gonna make it 3D, but their moms told them they weren't sure how to hang 3D objects on their refrigerators.

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[hamburger lady]

there is a third dimension to it, but it's curled up *really really small*

Think i saw this before

[Slashythenkilly]

As a plot device for the movie Time Bandits. If you hear any rumblings in your closet or walls pushed out, the supreme being will be through shortly to tidy up.

Re:

[mrbester]

We're all going to get turned into hermit crabs.

So what is it?

[Zorpheus]

From the pictures in the articles it looks like it is simply a map of the sky

Re: So what is it?

[Provocateur]

That was page 1, to unfold it, first you get out of the car.

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[Fly Swatter]

It's not even that, they can only see three quarters of the sky.

It would be cool if the data could be used to make a 3D google-earth type map. or at least start one.

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[noshellswill]

I think you mis-speak. The earth is indeed 3-D spacial dimensions , but the universe is "flat". Space-time curvature ~ zero. 

across roughly three-quarters of the sky

[rossdee]

Which quarter is missing?

Re:

[Locke2005]

The quarter I gave your mom last night.

Etchually...

[Baron_Yam]

I expect they are indicating there's no depth / distance data, but I'd still call it a 3D map because it is the inner surface of a sphere. You can't really compare even the relative 2D positions of things on this map correctly without considering an additional spatial dimension.

Re:Etchually...

[Mr. Barky]

You only need two coordinates to uniquely specify a point on the map, therefore it is 2D.

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[Locke2005]

Polar coordinates are (r, , ). This map has no r, hence 2D, not 3D. Non-cartesian coordinate systems exist!

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[Sneftel]

You can't really compare even the relative 2D positions of things on this map correctly without considering an additional spatial dimension.

You can. This is what the Haversine formula [wikipedia.org] is for.

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[TuringTest]

I'd still call it a 3D map because it is the inner surface of a sphere.

Surfaces of 3D objects are 2D objects, I think it's in the mathematical definition and all.

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[Locke2005]

It's not cartesian coordinates, it's polar coordinates, so the missing dimension is disance from the Earth, or r.

5.6 trillion, you say?

[Locke2005]

Can I use it as a source for a random number generator?

Is it, though?

[MachineShedFred]

After 13 years of observations and data processing, astronomers have released the largest two-dimensional map of the universe ever assembled

How do we know what other alien civilizations have mapped, and that this is larger?

2D is adequate

[toxonix]

Even traveling near light speed, the stars would take an awful long time to appear to move from their positions on this map. You would see redshift and strange magnification effects as you looked around you, but you would not be seeing objects move unless you were traveling very nearby them. How different would this map look from your view from the nearest star system 4.24 light years away? I mean looking back towards our solar system you'd see .. our solar system, but most of the sky map would have shifted