A Multi-Scale Observational Atlas of the Observable Universe:

We formulate a research program for constructing a multi-scale, observationally anchored digitalatlas of the observable universe that can be queried and navigated, with explicit treatment of what canand cannot be mapped. A complete planet-resolved model of the observable universe is physically andinformationally impossible. A useful atlas is possible if resolution is made a function of distance, dataquality, and scientific priority. We propose four coupled layers: (i) a light-cone catalog of large-scalestructure from spectroscopic and photometric surveys; (ii) a volume-complete stellar census of the solar neighborhood from Gaia and complementary astrometry and photometry; (iii) orbital and bulk-property models of confirmed exoplanetary systems, with a ranked shortlist of rocky habitable-zone worlds; and (iv) high-fidelity Solar System cartography together with a versioned small-body inventory.The NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory is treated as an operating facility: the Legacy Survey ofSpace and Time (LSST) began on 29–30 June 2026, Early Data Preview 2 coadds are public, andcommissioning data have already expanded the minor-planet census. Artificial intelligence is assigned well-defined tasks: source classification, photometric redshift and distance inference, difference-image and moving-object association, initial-condition reconstruction for cosmological simulations, spectrum retrieval, target ranking, host-star activity inference, and uncertainty-aware inpainting thatmust never be presented as measurement. Quantum processors are treated as specialized engines forsmall quantum-field and quantum-chemistry problems, not as a host for the atlas. We specify datasources, algorithms, evaluation metrics, an implementation sequence gated on public data releases,and failure modes. The intended product is not a photograph of the cosmos. It is a versioned, citable,navigable knowledge system whose every pixel, orbit, and alert carries a provenance flag.