On October 18, 2025, the 4-meter Multi-Object Spectroscopic Telescope (4MOST) at the European Southern Observatory in Chile achieved a significant milestone by capturing its first light. This event marks the beginning of its scientific exploration.
Unlike traditional telescopes, 4MOST can analyze the light from multiple celestial objects at once, breaking it into different colors. This capability lets astronomers study the detailed chemical makeup and properties of about 2,400 objects simultaneously, with an impressive ability to produce 18,000 color measurements.
Once fully operational, 4MOST will focus on broad astronomical themes, including the birth and evolution of stars, the Milky Way, and distant galaxies. It can collect detailed data every 10–20 minutes, building a vast catalogue of millions of objects in the southern sky.
4MOST is the largest facility of its kind in the southern hemisphere. It’s unique for its expansive field of view and the large number of objects it can observe at once. Development started in 2010, with plans for it to be in use for at least 15 years.
Roelof de Jong, the Principal Investigator of 4MOST, expressed excitement about the instrument’s initial findings, emphasizing the long journey the team undertook to reach this point. “It’s amazing that we can capture light that has traveled billions of years to reach us,” he noted.
The project has over 700 scientists involved, and in its first five years, it will undertake 25 different science programs. This includes studying the origins of chemical elements and understanding the cosmos’s expansion. Fascinatingly, many diverse programs can run simultaneously, enhancing the efficiency of research.
One key objective of 4MOST is exploring the Sculptor Galaxy (NGC 253), which is known for its star formation. It has a large apparent size, similar to the moon, and is approximately 11.5 million light-years away. The telescope also observed the globular cluster NGC 288, which contains some of the universe’s oldest stars, shedding light on the Milky Way’s history.
The observational power of 4MOST comes from its intricate design, featuring 2,436 optical fibers, each thinner than a human hair. These fibers funnel light to three spectrographs that analyze colors across the spectrum, enabling a wide range of scientific applications.
As 4MOST embarks on its journey, it promises to significantly deepen our understanding of the universe and reveal new insights into the forces that shape it.
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