Vera C. Rubin Observatory prepares to unveil cosmos: How to watch live
The National Science Foundation, which jointly funds and operates the observatory with the Department of Energy's Office of Science, has so far only released a handful of images and a brief video of the telescope in action.
More images and video are on the way, all showcasing what the largest camera ever built has captured within just hours of beginning its observations.
Here's what to know about the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, and how to watch live as the first images it captured are released to the public.
What is the Vera C. Rubin Observatory?
Named for famous astronomer Vera Rubin, the observatory is perched on a mountain in northern Chile in the foothills of the Andes. Astronomers say the location is both high and dry enough to provide clear skies for observing the universe.
For the next 10 years, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory will observe and collect data on the southern night sky in our Milky Way and beyond. By recording the entire sky once every few nights, the observatory will eventually create a time-lapse record serving as "the largest astronomical movie of all time," according to its website.
Plenty of cosmic wonders are expected to be revealed by the telescope, including thousands of previously unseen asteroids and millions of distant stars and galaxies.
"With Rubin data we will gain a better understanding of our Universe, delve into the mysteries of dark energy and dark matter, and reveal answers to questions we have yet to imagine," the website states.
How to see 1st images from telescope in Chile: Watch live
The first spectacular images the Vera C. Rubin Observatory has captured are expected to be released during a public event beginning at 11 a.m. ET Monday, June 23, 2025.
The National Science Foundation and Department of Energy will host a full reveal event streaming on the agency's YouTube channel. Live watch parties are also taking place all over the world.
Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com
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Reuters
a day ago
- Reuters
Chile observatory captures the universe with 3,200-megapixel camera
SANTIAGO, June 27 (Reuters) - Chile's Vera C. Rubin Observatory, which boasts the world's largest digital camera, has begun displaying its first images of the cosmos, allowing astronomers to figure out how the solar system formed and even whether an asteroid poses a threat to Earth. Located on Pachon Hill in the northern region of Coquimbo, the 8.4-meter (27-1/2-foot) telescope has a 3,200-megapixel camera feeding a powerful data processing system. "It's really going to change and challenge the way people work with their data," said William O'Mullane, a project manager focused on data at Vera Rubin. The observatory detected over 2,100 previously unseen asteroids in 10 hours of observations, focusing on a small area of the visible sky. Its ground-based and space-based peers discover in total some 20,000 asteroids a year. O'Mullane said the observatory would allow astronomers to collect huge amounts of data quickly and make unexpected finds. "Rather than the usual couple of observations and writing an (academic) paper. No, I'll give you a million galaxies. I'll give you a million stars or a billion even, because we have them: 20 billion galaxy measurements," he said. The center is named after American astronomer Vera C. Rubin, a pioneer in finding conclusive evidence of the existence of large amounts of invisible material known as dark matter. Each night, Rubin will take some 1,000 images of the southern hemisphere sky, letting it cover the entire southern sky every three or four nights. The darkest skies above the arid Atacama Desert make Chile one of the best places worldwide for astronomical observation. "The number of alerts the telescope will send every night is equivalent to the inboxes of 83,000 people. It's impossible for someone to look at that one by one," said astrophysicist Francisco Foster. "We're going to have to use artificial intelligence tools."
The Independent
3 days ago
- The Independent
Previously unseen corners of the universe revealed by largest digital camera ever built
The largest digital camera ever built released its first shots of the universe Monday, including colorful nebulas, stars and galaxies. The Vera C. Rubin Observatory, located on a mountaintop in Chile, was built to take a deeper look at the night sky, covering hidden corners. Funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and U.S. Department of Energy, it will survey the southern sky for the next 10 years. The observatory's first look features the vibrant Trifid and Lagoon nebulas located thousands of light-years from Earth. A light-year is nearly 6 trillion miles. A gaggle of galaxies known as the Virgo Cluster were also captured, including two bright blue spirals. The observatory hopes to image 20 billion galaxies and discover new asteroids and other celestial objects. The effort is named after astronomer Vera Rubin, who offered the first evidence that a mysterious force called dark matter might be lurking in the universe. Researchers hope the observatory's discerning camera may yield clues about this elusive entity along with another called dark energy.
The Herald Scotland
4 days ago
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Vera C. Rubin Observatory prepares to unveil cosmos: How to watch live
The National Science Foundation, which jointly funds and operates the observatory with the Department of Energy's Office of Science, has so far only released a handful of images and a brief video of the telescope in action. More images and video are on the way, all showcasing what the largest camera ever built has captured within just hours of beginning its observations. Here's what to know about the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, and how to watch live as the first images it captured are released to the public. What is the Vera C. Rubin Observatory? Named for famous astronomer Vera Rubin, the observatory is perched on a mountain in northern Chile in the foothills of the Andes. Astronomers say the location is both high and dry enough to provide clear skies for observing the universe. For the next 10 years, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory will observe and collect data on the southern night sky in our Milky Way and beyond. By recording the entire sky once every few nights, the observatory will eventually create a time-lapse record serving as "the largest astronomical movie of all time," according to its website. Plenty of cosmic wonders are expected to be revealed by the telescope, including thousands of previously unseen asteroids and millions of distant stars and galaxies. "With Rubin data we will gain a better understanding of our Universe, delve into the mysteries of dark energy and dark matter, and reveal answers to questions we have yet to imagine," the website states. How to see 1st images from telescope in Chile: Watch live The first spectacular images the Vera C. Rubin Observatory has captured are expected to be released during a public event beginning at 11 a.m. ET Monday, June 23, 2025. The National Science Foundation and Department of Energy will host a full reveal event streaming on the agency's YouTube channel. Live watch parties are also taking place all over the world. Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@
