Experts have completed the installation of the LSST camera on the Vera Rubin Observatory telescope. This event is a key step in the history of a project that took decades to realize.
Ultra-high-definition timelapse of the Universe
The Vera Rubin Observatory traces its history back to the early noughties, when scientists first proposed a project to create a survey telescope with an ultra-wide field of view. Manufacturing of its mirror began in 2007; the first stone of the foundation of the base was laid in 2015. The top of the Chilean mountain Cerro Pachón was chosen as the location of the observatory.
Once observations begin, the Vera Rubin Observatory will repeatedly scan the southern night sky for a decade, effectively creating an ultra-wide-angle, ultra-high-definition timelapse of the Universe. Its main objectives will be to study dark energy and dark matter, to map the Milky Way and small objects in the Solar System (in particular, near-Earth asteroids and Kuiper Belt objects), and to search for supernovae, gravitational lenses and quasars. Over the years, the observatory is expected to detect a huge number of celestial bodies and phenomena, from interstellar objects to gamma-ray bursts.
The world’s largest digital camera
All this will be possible thanks to the observatory’s unique three-element telescope architecture. It received three mirrors instead of the usual two: a main mirror with a diameter of 8.4 meters, a secondary 3.5-meter mirror, and a third mirror with a diameter of 5 meters, which is located behind the large hole in the main mirror. This innovative design will allow you to simultaneously capture faint objects and objects that change position or brightness over a wide field of view.
“The heart of the observatory’s optical system will be the 3200-megapixel LSST camera. It is the largest digital camera ever built. It is comparable in size to an automobile, its mass exceeding 3000 km. Thanks to it, the Vera Rubin Observatory will collect more data than any other observatory in history.
In early March, observatory staff installed the LSST camera at its operating position, the last major step in getting the observatory operating. It will be connected in the coming weeks, after which engineers will test all its systems. After that, the observatory will be able to start observations. Its first images are expected to be released in July 2025.
According to NOIRLab
