What is First light (astronomy)?
[[File:SDO first light.png|thumb|First light image from the [[Solar Dynamics Observatory]]]] In [[astronomy]], '''first light''' is the first time a [[telescope]] is used to look at the [[Universe]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.universetoday.com/13125/the-worlds-most-powerful-telescope-sees-first-light/ |title=The World's Most Powerful Telescope Sees First Light |first=Fraser |last=Cain|work=universetoday.com |date=March 10, 2008 |accessdate=October 11, 2011}}</ref> This is often not the first time the telescope has been used. Tests will have been done during daylight to make sure everything is working. Images taken during first light are not normally of scientific interest. They are usually poor quality as the parts of the telescope have not been properly adjusted for best performance. Usually, a well-known and spectacular [[astronomical object]] is chosen. First light is always a moment of great excitement, both for the people who designed and built the telescope, and for the astronomical community. For example, the 200-inch [[Hale Telescope]] saw first light January 26, 1949, targeting a [[nebula]] located in the [[constellation]] [[Monoceros]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cosmoquest.org/x/365daysofastronomy|title=Citizen Science|website=365 Days of Astronomy}}</ref> under the direction of American astronomer [[Edwin Hubble]]. The image was published in many magazines. The [[Large Binocular Telescope]] had its first light with a single primary mirror on October 12, 2005. This was a view of NGC 891, a [[spiral galaxy]] in the [[Andromeda (constellation)|Andromeda constellation]] .<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://medusa.as.arizona.edu/lbto/first_light.htm |title=medusa.as.arizona.edu |access-date=2011-03-25 |archive-date=2008-12-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202105302/http://medusa.as.arizona.edu/lbto/first_light.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=18115|title=Large Binoccular Telescope Successfully Achieves First Light|website=www.spa