Until further notice tours are only carried out on Fridays between 10am and 2pm
LSST enforces the AURA Harassment and Code of Conduct Policy. Harassment and unprofessional conduct (including the use of offensive language) of any kind is not permitted at any time and will result in removal from the facility.
Our site at the summit of Cerro Pachón is currently under construction, hence access to the site is restricted and is granted at the discretion of Rubin Management. From time to time we provide permission to access the site. Without the "Pase de Ingreso" you will not be allowed to proceed to the summit.
To visit the site please complete the form below and and we will get in touch with you. We recommend that you contact us at least 3 months prior to your proposed visit date.
Safety: Please note that you will require steel-toe shoes while walking around the construction site. Hard hats and reflective safety vests will be provided if necessary. Refer to this flyer and this document for additional information. NOTE: earthquakes do happen in Chile, you will be escorted during your visit and must follow the instructions you are given should action need to be taken due to an earthquake.
Meals: You should plan to bring your own food if you will be on-site during meal times. Prior arrangements can also be made for you to eat at the summit cafeteria at a cost.
Transport: Contact information for preferred drivers who have experience driving up to the summit is available on request—they can be contracted at your own expense. Driving your own vehicle is strongly discouraged and requires training provided by the safety team. If you are granted permission to drive your own vehicle to the summit, the vehicle must be a 4x4 have roll bars. You should aim to be at the security check point near Vicuña no earlier than 7:30am and should depart from the summit no later than 4pm - this avoids delays with the staff bus schedule.
Drone usage is at the discretion of the site manager or delegate, and will depend on what is happening on the site at that particular time. Be prepared for permission to be granted or withdrawn at the very last minute.
To fly a drone weighing in excess of 750 grams in Chile requires authorization from Chilean authorities. You are responsible for obtaining this authorization.
Take note that conditions such as wind or whether a crane is currently in use are also determining factors. Drone batteries are exhausted faster at high altitudes so spare batteries are recommended. Our summit is at 2,663 m (8,737 ft).
Financial support for Rubin Observatory comes from the National Science Foundation (NSF) through Cooperative Support Agreement No. 1202910, the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science under Contract No. DE-AC02-76SF00515, and private funding raised by the LSST Corporation. The NSF-funded Rubin Observatory Project Office for construction was established as an operating center under management of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA). The DOE-funded effort to build the the Rubin Observatory LSST Camera (LSSTCam) is managed by the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC).
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an
independent federal agency created by Congress
in 1950 to promote the progress of science. NSF supports basic research and people to create knowledge that transforms the future.
NSF and DOE will continue to support Rubin Observatory in its Operations phase. They will also provide support for scientific research with LSST data.
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