Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory

@vrubinobs.bsky.social

11K followers 91 following 430 posts

Get ready for a new era in astronomy and astrophysics with Rubin Observatory! Para español siga a Instagram: http://instagram.com/rubin_observatory

instagram.com

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory @vrubinobs.bsky.social · Jun 24

Yesterday we released our cosmic treasure chest...and now it's yours to explore! With ✨~10 million galaxies✨ in the image, there's plenty to find.

Pan, zoom, and hunt for gems in this treasure chest using Skyviewer - and be sure to share your favorites with us! 🔭🧪

➡️ skyviewer.app/explorer

$A field of galaxies of many shapes, sizes and colors, as well as the bright multi-colored points of stars. At left is a large elliptical galaxy, smooth like a polished stone. At right lies a large spiral galaxy that is nearly a ring, with bright golden core. To its lower left is a smaller spiral with a barred core. At top and bottom, two bright stars shine brightly with multi-colored diffraction spikes emanating out. In the background, hundreds of galaxies are just smudges of various colors.$

A field of galaxies of many shapes, sizes and colors, as well as the bright multi-colored points of stars. At top left is a large galaxy that is smooth like a stone, with wisps like cotton candy spiral from left and right. In the background, hundreds of galaxies of many shapes are just smudges of various colors against the black of space. / A field of galaxies of many shapes, sizes and colors, as well as the bright multi-colored points of stars. At bottom left is an elegant two-armed galaxy, with arms extended like a dancer viewed from above. The bright points of three stars form a triangle at top center. In the background, hundreds of galaxies of many shapes are just smudges of various colors against the black of space.

$A field of galaxies of many shapes, sizes and colors, as well as the bright multi-colored points of stars. At top right is a large galaxy with two whirling spiral arms wrapping around like a hug. At bottom left, two smooth elliptical galaxies appear near each other, like champagne glasses in the midst of a cheers. A bright star above the pair has red, green, and blue diffraction spikes emanating out. In the background, hundreds of galaxies of many shapes are just smudges of various colors.$ A field of galaxies of many shapes, sizes and colors, as well as the bright multi-colored points of stars. At center is a spiral galaxy peppered with tight, knotted clumps of vivid blue, young stars. In the background, hundreds of galaxies of many shapes are just smudges of various colors against the black of space.

A field of galaxies of many shapes, sizes and colors, as well as the bright multi-colored points of stars. At center is a spiral galaxy peppered with tight, knotted clumps of vivid blue, young stars. In the background, hundreds of galaxies of many shapes are just smudges of various colors against the black of space.

27 210 640

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory @vrubinobs.bsky.social · 45m

Golden hour hits different above 2600 meters. ✨🌅

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory basks in that sunset ✨glow✨ at its site on Cerro Pachón. And with over 300 clear nights on average per year here, that's a lot of sunset basking we get to do! 🔭🧪

Large boot-shaped observatory with a massive telescope dome reflecting orange and golden sunset light atop its rocky mountain site.

Large boot-shaped observatory with a massive telescope dome atop its rocky mountain site, with the golden glow of sunset over the rolling peaks in the distance.

Large boot-shaped observatory on a rocky mountain peak during a vibrant sunset with layered mountain ranges in the background.

Drone shot of a massive teal telescope within an observatory's dome with a vertical opening, surrounded by winding mountain roads and dry terrain.

9 47

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory @vrubinobs.bsky.social · 1d

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory is incredible, but we try to stay down to Earth...😉

How does Rubin take sharp images of the cosmos from the ground? Computer-controlled actuators adjust its mirrors and camera against wind or gravity in real time, keeping everything perfectly aligned. 💨🪞✨

A boot-shaped observatory sits atop its dry mountain site under a twilight sky filled with stars. The observatory’s open dome reveals the telescope inside, with a donut-shaped calibration screen mounted to the inside of the dome and illuminated by soft blue light. The surrounding mountains are silhouetted against the fading glow of sunset on the horizon.

6 48

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory @vrubinobs.bsky.social · 4d

📷:
1. NSF–DOE RubinObs/SLAC/NOIRLab/AURA/H. Stockebrand
2. NSF–DOE RubinObs/SLAC/NOIRLab/AURA/P. Horálek
3. NSF–DOE RubinObs/SLAC/NOIRLab/AURA/Y. AlSayyad
4. NSF–DOE RubinObs/SLAC/NOIRLab/AURA
5. NSF–DOE RubinObs/SLAC/NOIRLab/AURA/P. Horálek

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory @vrubinobs.bsky.social · 4d

Our Solar System has millions of wandering asteroids and comets that are small, far away, and usually dark. Rubin Observatory excels at detecting faint objects, and it’ll find 10-100 times more Solar System objects than were known before! 🔭🧪

A wide-angle night panorama of Rubin Observatory on a rocky mountain peak, with a dirt road curving around from left to right. The full moon glows brightly near the horizon on the right, illuminating the landscape. Overhead, the Milky Way arcs across the sky, glowing with dense star fields, dark dust lanes, and red emission nebulae. The Large and Small Magellanic Clouds appear as bright fuzzy patches below the arcing band of the Milky Way.

2 6 41

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory @vrubinobs.bsky.social · 4d

It's International #ObserveTheMoon Night! 🌙

The Moon is dazzlingly bright — so bright that NSF-DOE Rubin Observatory will never point at it. But there are many Solar System objects that are incredibly faint, and that’s where Rubin shines.🔭🧪

The yellow disc of the full moon dominates the image. The moon has nearly risen above the horizon running along the bottom of the image, but is just cut off from being a perfect circle at the bottom. Rubin Observatory is silhouetted toward the right side of the moon, shaped like a boot with low service building extending to the right and shiny angular dome sticking up. A small-looking crane sits to the left of the observatory.

A composite image shows the Vera C. Rubin Observatory on Cerro Pachón in Chile beneath a clear blue sky. Multiple exposures of the Moon, taken over time, form a diagonal trail across the sky, showing its motion as it sets. The observatory’s large, angular dome and surrounding rocky peaks stand out against the mountainous horizon in the distance.

The sliver of a crescent moon hangs above a dark horizon next to a silhouetted Rubin Observatory amid a firey orange sky

The yellow orb of the moon glows just above the horizon to the left of a white observatory building on a rocky landscape with a silver dome shining in the moonlight. The horizon cuts through the center of the image, and sparse clouds add interest to the blue-tinted sky.

4 17 76

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory @vrubinobs.bsky.social · 4d

And when it comes to the number of discoveries Rubin scientists will make about dark matter…the limit does not exist! ✨ 🔭🧪

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory @vrubinobs.bsky.social · 4d

That’s where NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory comes in. We’re not a regular observatory, we’re a cool observatory! 🔭🧪

The 10-year Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) will measure observed distortions in billions of galaxies, revealing where the invisible dark matter is hiding.

📷: W. O'Mullane

2 5 38

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory @vrubinobs.bsky.social · 4d

Dark matter is the mysterious substance in the Universe that only interacts with regular matter (like you and us) via gravity. We can’t see it directly, but we see its influence as it bends light across the cosmos.🔭🧪

large scale structure in the universe shows a weblike distribution of galaxies surrounded by invisible dark matter

2 2 11

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory @vrubinobs.bsky.social · 4d

Is dark matter a carb?

No, Gretchen, it's not, but we're trying to figure out what it is!

At 85% percent of the Universe's mass and energy, it's sort of like Gretchen's hair: big and full of secrets. 🔭🧪

📷: W. O'Mullane

A boot-shaped observatory atop its mountain site at twilight. The sky glows in gradients of purple, pink, and orange as the sun sets behind the mountains in the distance. Stars begin to appear above the angular, open observatory dome, which is illuminated against the colorful horizon.

4 8 58

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory @vrubinobs.bsky.social · 5d

Keeping NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory running takes critical systems working seamlessly behind the scenes ⚡🔧

Franco Colleoni, Electronic Engineer, shares the rewarding aspects of his work on Rubin's vital systems. 🔭🧪

🎥 Meet Franco: https://youtu.be/NMPBIBF2vdw

4 33

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory @vrubinobs.bsky.social · 6d

That way, scientists know the amount of signal that's due to the camera itself and can remove it from the raw images, leaving science-ready images that contain only the light from the cosmos✨🔭 🧪

📸 for all: NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory/NOIRLab/SLAC/AURA/W. O'Mullane

Rubin Observatory's huge 8.4-meter telescope points at the in-dome calibration screen. On the right, and tilted left nearly to horizontal, the telescope is a huge, teal steel structure with a top and middle ring supported by thick beams connected to the telescope base. On the left, the calibration screen is a large white donut shape slightly wider than the top end of the telescope.

1 27

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory @vrubinobs.bsky.social · 6d

When the LSST Camera takes an image, it also gets signal from itself, including faint heat (aka infrared light!) or natural variations between pixels.🔭 🧪

By reflecting the same, controlled amount of light onto every pixel, this calibration screen reveals those variations.

An ominous blue donut-shaped ring glows ominously in the dark to the left. To the right, Rubin's large steel telescope mount structure is barely visible, softly illuminated by the blue glow.

1 1 22

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory @vrubinobs.bsky.social · 6d

The screen is lit by specific LEDs that test all 3.2 billion pixels of the LSST Camera.

For each of the camera’s six filters, scientists use a different LED combination to see exactly how every pixel responds across the full rainbow of light.🔭 🧪

But why does this matter?

An ominous blue donut-shaped ring glows ominously in the dark to the right. To the left, Rubin's large steel telescope mount structure is barely visible, softly illuminated by the blue glow.

1 1 9

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory @vrubinobs.bsky.social · 6d

You glow girl! ✨

At NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory, the secret to achieving a glowing-from-within look is our calibration screen.🔭 🧪

It's glamorous, we know 💅

🧵

An ominous blue donut-shaped ring surrounded by a thin red ring glows ominously in the dark to the left. To the right, Rubin's large steel telescope mount structure is barely visible, softly illuminated by the glow.

1 6 67

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory @vrubinobs.bsky.social · 11d

You might think the night sky is the paparazzi magnet at Cerro Pachón, but it's actually the viscachas.

(Ok, it's both.)

These local celebrities are a favorite sighting among observatory scientists — they even bask in the sunset glow just like observers do before the night! 🔭🧪

A small rodent with long ears and fluffy tail sits silhouetted on top of a rock against a yellow sunset sky.

A small fat rodent with long ears and fluffy tail sits on a gray rock. It appears almost content and proper, with eyes closed and front paws crossed.

A small rodent with long ears and fluffy tail sits on a rock in the brown Chilean landscape. Scrubby bushes sparsely populate the scene.

A small rodent with long ears and fluffy tail sits among the brown Chilean landscape. Scrubby bushes sparsely populate the scene.

3 17 74

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory @vrubinobs.bsky.social · 12d

From mining⛏️, to construction🦺, to leading observatory safety operations👷‍♀️

Meet Sandra Romero, NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory's Safety Lead. 🔭

Her job? Keeping Rubin safe for everyone who works here, from construction activities to science operations✨

🎥 Meet Sandra: https://youtu.be/3gJMxs2nFnQ

Meet Sandra Romero, Safety Lead | Rubin Construction Archives

Meet Sandra Romero, Safety Lead for NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, who shares why she loves her work and the unexpected journey that brought her to Rubin...

youtu.be

4 22

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory @vrubinobs.bsky.social · 13d

To celebrate the approaching end of NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory's construction period, we're reminiscing through the eyes of some of our talented staff.

Join us for the #RubinConstructionArchives series, every Tuesday and Thursday on Youtube through November! 🔭 🧪

youtube.com/RubinObservatory

5 34

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory @vrubinobs.bsky.social · 15d

Are you more of a spring🌺 or winter❄️ palette? 🎨

Today is the September #equinox, the first day of spring in the Southern hemisphere. That means we’re swapping the cool, crisp tones of snow and winter for the fresh, warm hues of spring just around the corner.💐

🔭 🧪

The boot-shaped Rubin Observatory sits atop a rocky mountain peak under a clear blue sky. In the foreground, yellow wildflowers and desert shrubs grow among rugged brown rocks. A five-color palette beneath the photo shows dusty blue, light blue, green, gold, and brown.

The boot-shaped Rubin Observatory sits atop a rocky mountain peak under a clouded sky. The rugged brown rocks are draped in ice and snow. A five-color palette beneath the photo shows almost-black, light blue, light grayish blue, gray, and off-white.

A dramatic sunset over Cerro Pachón after a snow storm bathes the low-hanging clouds in pink and orange. A snow-dusted ridgeline cuts through the scene. A five-color palette beneath the photo shows a dark dusty blue, rich dark blue, pinky orange, light pink, and a darker dusty pink

An indistinguishable photo, the result of snow completely covering the camera. A five-color palette beneath the photo shows various shades of gray.

5 30

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory @vrubinobs.bsky.social · 18d

Later this year, Rubin will begin its ten-year Legacy Survey of Space of Time (LSST), mapping the stellar populations of the Milky Way and its satellite galaxies and helping scientists study how the Milky Way and its companions formed, evolved, and continue to interact. ´🔭 🧪

1 32

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory @vrubinobs.bsky.social · 18d

Ok, well now you're just showing off.

...we're not mad about it though.

This spectacular nightscape of NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory in Chile features the striking band of the Milky Way and its companions.🔭 🧪

Panorama of Rubin Observatory on its mountain site in Chile beneath the night sky. The glowing band of the Milky Way arches from the lower center to upper right, ending above Rubin Observatory's boot-shaped silhouette. The sky is a deep blue, nearly black, and the pinpricks of stars dot the scene. To the left, the smudges of the Large and Small Magellanic clouds appear among the pinpricks of foreground stars.

2 25 96

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory @vrubinobs.bsky.social · 20d

📷:
1. J. Orrell/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
2. NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory/NOIRLab/SLAC/AURA/A. Pizarro D.
3. NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory/NOIRLab/SLAC/AURA/P. Marshall

2 6

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory @vrubinobs.bsky.social · 20d

Bringing a whole new meaning to "remote work" 👩‍💻🔭 🧪

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory sits stop Cerro Pachón in Chile, but we have remote observing locations in Chile and the US!

Read about how the control room at SLAC will help enable Rubin to #CaptureTheCosmos: rubinobservatory.org/news/slac-co...

Three people sit at a workstation with six large monitors displaying scientific data, images, and graphs. One person uses a keyboard and mouse, while another looks on thoughtfully. A photo of the boot-shaped Rubin Observatory is on the wall behind the screens.

Two people sit side by side in front of six monitors filled with blue-toned graphs, charts, and system readouts. They appear to be discussing the information on the screens. Their chairs dominate the foreground.

A person sits at a desk in front of six monitors displaying software dashboards, charts, and code. A large video call screen at left shows an empty office.

1 4 29

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory @vrubinobs.bsky.social · 20d

¡Felices Fiestas Patrias! 🇨🇱🎉

Today is Chile's Independence Day! We wish all of our colleagues and neighbors a joyful and safe #Dieciocho 💃 🔭

2 24

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory @vrubinobs.bsky.social · 20d

📸: NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory/W. O'Mullane

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory @vrubinobs.bsky.social · 20d

Eat, sleep, slew ✨🔭 In astronomy, slewing is when a telescope rotates to a different patch of the sky.

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory's telescope mount is balanced and rigid, reducing vibrations and allowing the LSST Camera to be ready for its next image in only 5 seconds. 🔭🧪

NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory beneath a striking night sky, with the glowing band of the Milky Way emanating toward the upper left. Rubin's open dome appears blurred because it moved during this long-exposure image.

1 9 66