The Vera C. Rubin Observatory has unveiled its first images as it embarks on a decade-long survey of the universe. The observatory, funded by the US National Science Foundation and the US Department of Energy’s Office of Science, has captured millions of galaxies, stars in the Milky Way, and thousands of asteroids in just over 10 hours of test observations.
Located in Chile, the observatory will scan the sky for ten years using its 8.4-meter Simonyi Survey Telescope. The region's dry air and dark skies provide an ideal vantage point for astronomical observations. The facility is scheduled to achieve ‘first light’ on July 4, marking its initial scientific observations.
UK astronomers from institutions such as the University of Cambridge are actively participating in this ambitious sky survey. Professor Hiranya Peiris from Cambridge’s Institute of Astronomy stated, “We will be looking at the universe in a way that we have never done before, and this exploration is bound to throw up surprises that we never imagined.”
The UK has contributed £23 million through the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) to prepare for analyzing the vast amounts of data generated by this project. As a major international contributor, the UK will manage one of three global data facilities to process approximately 1.5 million images capturing around 10 billion stars and galaxies.
Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) aims to uncover numerous cosmic phenomena including asteroids, comets, pulsating stars, and supernova explosions over its ten-year span. Professor Vasily Belokurov from Cambridge's Institute of Astronomy remarked on his anticipation: "I can’t wait to explore the first LSST catalogues - revealing the faintest dwarf galaxies and stellar streams swarming through the Milky Way’s halo."
Professor Bob Mann from the University of Edinburgh highlighted a decade-long preparation effort: “These exciting First Look images show that everything is working well and reassure us that we have a decade’s worth of wonderful data coming our way, with which UK astronomers will do great science.”