Vera C. Rubin Observatory

Vera C. Rubin Observatory
Rendering of completed LSST
Alternative namesLSST Edit this at Wikidata
Named afterVera Rubin Edit this on Wikidata
Location(s)Elqui Province, Coquimbo Region, Chile
Coordinates30°14′40.7″S 70°44′57.9″W / 30.244639°S 70.749417°W / -30.244639; -70.749417[1][3][4]
OrganizationLarge Synoptic Survey Telescope Corporation Edit this on Wikidata
Observatory code X05 Edit this on Wikidata
Altitude2,663 m (8,737 ft), top of pier[1][5]
Wavelength320–1060 nm[6]
First lightExpected in January 2025[7]
Telescope styleThree-mirror anastigmat, Paul-Baker / Mersenne-Schmidt wide-angle[8]
Diameter8.417 m (27.6 ft) physical
8.360 m (27.4 ft) optical
5.116 m (16.8 ft) inner[9][10]
Secondary diameter3.420 m (1.800 m inner)[9]
Tertiary diameter5.016 m (1.100 m inner)[9][10]
Angular resolution0.7″ median seeing limit
0.2″ pixel size[6]
Collecting area35 square meters (376.7 sq ft)[6]
Focal length10.31 m (f/1.23) overall
9.9175 m (f/1.186) primary
Mountingaltazimuth mount Edit this on Wikidata
Websitehttp://rubinobservatory.org/
Vera C. Rubin Observatory is located in Chile
Vera C. Rubin Observatory
Location of Vera C. Rubin Observatory
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The Vera C. Rubin Observatory, formerly known as the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), is an astronomical observatory under construction in Chile. Its main task will be carrying out a synoptic astronomical survey, the Legacy Survey of Space and Time.[11][12] The word "synoptic" is derived from the Greek words σύν (syn "together") and ὄψις (opsis "view"), and describes observations that give a broad view of a subject at a particular time. The observatory is located on the El Peñón peak of Cerro Pachón, a 2,682-meter-high mountain in Coquimbo Region, in northern Chile, alongside the existing Gemini South and Southern Astrophysical Research Telescopes.[13] The LSST Base Facility is located about 100 kilometres (62 miles) away from the observatory by road, in the town of La Serena. The observatory is named for Vera Rubin, an American astronomer who pioneered discoveries about galaxy rotation rates.

The Rubin Observatory will house the Simonyi Survey Telescope,[14] a wide-field reflecting telescope with an 8.4-meter primary mirror[9][10] that will photograph the entire available sky every few nights.[15] The telescope uses a novel three-mirror design, a variant of three-mirror anastigmat, which allows a compact telescope to deliver sharp images over a very wide 3.5-degree diameter field of view. Images will be recorded by a 3.2-gigapixel charge coupled device imaging (CCD) camera, the largest digital camera ever constructed.[16]

The LSST was proposed in 2001, and construction of the mirror began (with private funds) in 2007. LSST then became the top-ranked large ground-based project in the 2010 Astrophysics Decadal Survey, and the project officially began construction 1 August 2014 when the United States National Science Foundation (NSF) authorized the FY2014 portion ($27.5 million) of its construction budget.[17] Funding comes from the NSF, the United States Department of Energy, and private funding raised by the dedicated international non-profit organization, the LSST Discovery Alliance. Operations are under the management of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA).[18] Total construction cost is expected to be about $680 million.[19]

Site construction began on 14 April 2015 with the ceremonial laying of the first stone.[20][21] First light for the engineering camera is expected in August 2024,[22] while system first light is expected in January 2025 and full survey operations are aimed to begin in August 2025, due to COVID-related schedule delays.[23] LSST data is scheduled to become fully public after two years.[24]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Coordinates was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference grids-chile was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Charles F. Claver; et al. (2007-03-19). "LSST Reference Design" (PDF). LSST Corporation. pp. 64–65. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-04-08. Retrieved 2008-12-10. The map on p. 64 shows the Universal Transverse Mercator location of the centre of the telescope pier at approximately 6653188.9 N, 331859.5 E, in zone 19J. Assuming the PSAD56 (La Canoa) datum, widely used in South America,[2] this translates to WGS84 30°14′39.6″S 70°44′57.8″W / 30.244333°S 70.749389°W / -30.244333; -70.749389. Other datums do not lead to a peak.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Status2011 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference SummitFacilities was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference config was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "Monthly updates". LSST Corporation. 6 December 2016. Archived from the original on 2 July 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference design-oxford was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference optical_design was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference testing was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Overbye, Dennis (11 January 2020). "Vera Rubin Gets a Telescope of Her Own – The astronomer missed her Nobel Prize. But she now has a whole new observatory to her name". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  12. ^ "NSF-supported observatory renamed for astronomer Vera C. Rubin". www.nsf.gov. Retrieved 2020-01-07.
  13. ^ "Press Release LSSTC-04: Site in Northern Chile Selected for Large Synoptic Survey Telescope" (PDF). LSST. 17 May 2006. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  14. ^ "About Rubin Observatory". 2 April 2013. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  15. ^ "LSST General Public FAQs". Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  16. ^ "Camera". LSST. 26 March 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  17. ^ Kahn, Steven; Krabbendam, Victor (August 2014). "LSST Construction Authorization" (Press release). Lsst Corp.
  18. ^ Boilerplate text, Rubin Observatory, accessed May 28, 2020
  19. ^ Cite error: The named reference surprise was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  20. ^ "LSST First Stone" (Press release). LSST Corporation. 14 April 2015.
  21. ^ "The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope: Unlocking the secrets of dark matter and dark energy". Phys.org. May 29, 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  22. ^ Falk, Dan, This Revolutionary New Observatory Will Locate Threatening Asteroids and Millions of Galaxies: Beginning next year, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory will use the world’s largest digital camera to give us a whole new view of the universe, Smithsonian, June 20, 2024
  23. ^ "Monthly updates". LSST Corporation. 6 December 2016. Archived from the original on 2 July 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  24. ^ "Search | Legacy Survey of Space and Time". www.lsst.org. Retrieved 2020-02-12.