Vera Rubin Observatory Releases Seagull Nebula Image From ComCam Test Camera

The NSF–DOE Vera Rubin Observatory released a new image of the Seagull Nebula (IC 2177) marking two years since testing began with its ComCam commissioning camera. During a seven-week run in late 2024, ComCam captured about 16,000 exposures at 144 megapixels each, covering an area of sky equal to two full Moons.

• ComCam is a smaller version of the LSST camera and produces 144-megapixel images
• It gathered about 16,000 exposures during its seven-week test run
• The image shows a star-forming region about 3,700 light-years away
• ComCam was removed in December 2024 but is still used to test LSST software