The "wide" mode is called "survey" astronomy, and there have been several large surveys like Rubin/LSST, going all the way back to the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, which started in 2000 (if you count surveys from before the era of digital sensors, there are surveys going back more than 100 years).[0] Rubin/LSST is just the newest and most advanced large, ground-based optical survey.
Both modes of observation - surveys and targeted observations of individual objects - are necessary for astronomical research. Often, large surveys are used to scan the sky, and then targeted observations are used to follow up on the most interesting objects.
Both modes of observation - surveys and targeted observations of individual objects - are necessary for astronomical research. Often, large surveys are used to scan the sky, and then targeted observations are used to follow up on the most interesting objects.
0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sloan_Digital_Sky_Survey
Note that "seeing" means something very specific in astronomy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomical_seeing.