After nearly a decade of development, a cutting-edge telescope linked to the largest camera in the world is poised to transform our understanding of astronomy. Situated atop a desolate mountain in the dry desert region of Coquimbo, Chile, the Vera C Rubin Observatory boasts a futuristic design, perched on Cerro Pachón with its distinctive compact and rotating dome-like structure. This $1.9bn project is set to commence sky mapping in early 2025, utilizing an 8.4-meter mirror equipped with a groundbreaking 3,200-megapixel camera to capture an unparalleled amount of astronomical data during the LSST (Legacy Survey of Space and Time) over the next decade.
Jacques Sebag, the assembly integration and verification manager at the site, highlighted the uniqueness of this telescope, emphasizing its ability to survey the entire sky, compared to traditional telescopes that focus on specific areas for specific purposes. The telescope’s compact design enables it to be fastmoving and to constantly monitor changes in the sky, registering various celestial events on a nightly basis, with an estimated 10 million events expected to be detected.
Frossie Economou, the technical manager for data management at the site, emphasized the wealth of information that will be available, ranging from the solar system to the farthest reaches of the universe. The observatory, named after the renowned North American astronomer who confirmed the existence of dark matter, aims to address uncertainties surrounding dark matter and dark energy, which account for over 70% of the universe.
Chile, with its high-altitude Andean mountains and minimal light pollution in its sparsely populated desert areas, serves as an ideal location for astronomical observation. The Rubin Observatory benefits from an average of 256 clear nights per year, further solidifying Chile’s position as a premier destination for astronomical research, expected to yield about 70% of Earth’s observational data by 2025.
Steve Heathcote, the director of Cerro Tololo, a neighboring observatory, expressed optimism that the Rubin Observatory, in conjunction with the telescopes at Cerro Tololo, would contribute to unraveling more mysteries related to the universe’s creation. Over the course of 10 years, the LSST is projected to produce an immense 60 petabytes of data through 2 million images, with the UK responsible for processing about a quarter of this data.
Aprajita Verma, the international program coordinator at the University of Oxford, described the LSST as “the greatest movie of the sky that mankind has ever made,” emphasizing the potential for revolutionizing survey astronomy and deepening our understanding of the billions of celestial objects that will be observed.
The global astronomical community is abuzz with excitement over the project, with the local community equally enthused. Claudia Llanquitruf, who has been involved in the construction of the observatory’s rotating dome, expressed her pride and awe in being part of a project that will generate groundbreaking studies and have a significant impact.
