# Biggest 2D Map of the Universe Took 13 Years and 263,407 Photos to Make

> Scientists have used a pair of NSF NOIRLab telescopes for 13 years to create the new DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys map. It is the largest 2D map ever of the Universe and covers three-quarters of the sky.

- **Source:** [Petapixel](https://petapixel.com/2026/08/11/biggest-2d-map-of-the-universe-took-13-years-and-263407-photos-to-make/?utm_source=gearopen.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=feed&utm_content=6a7b3f13e8d40cfec8c15524)
- **Published:** 2026-08-11
- **Category:** Cameras
- **Tags:** #galaxy #pixel
- **Canonical:** http://localhost:4321/a/6a7b3f13e8d40cfec8c15524

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_GearOpen's distilled summary. The full original article is published at Petapixel (source link above); GearOpen does not republish the source's full text._