Scientists just mapped 1 million new galaxies, in 300 hours - Space.com

This new sky survey, which Australia's national science agency (CSIRO) described in a statement as a "Google map of the universe" , marks the completion of a big test for the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) radio telescope –- a network of 36 antennas rooted in the remote Western Australia Outback.

While astronomers have been using ASKAP to scour the sky for radio signatures (including mysterious fast radio bursts) since 2012, the telescope's full array of antennas has never been used in a single sky survey –- until now.

By harnessing the telescope's full potential, researchers mapped roughly 3 million galaxies in the southern sky, according to a paper published Nov.

As many as 1 million of these distant galaxies may be previously unknown to astronomy, the researchers wrote, and that's likely just the beginning.

With the success of this first survey, CSIRO scientists are already planning even more in-depth observations in the coming years.

"For the first time, ASKAP has flexed its full muscles, building a map of the universe in greater detail than ever before, and at record speed," lead study author David McConnell, a CSIRO astronomer, said in a statement.

CSIRO's new effort, which they've labeled the Rapid ASKAP Continuum Survey, only took a few weeks of stargazing!