News

Smile for the Camera

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Jacqueline Ramseyer Orrell/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

October 12, 2022 - Rubin Observatory’s LSST Camera is having a moment, and it’s one that’s getting lots of media attention. Although the camera isn’t fully complete yet, all of its mechanical components are now together for the first time—in one photogenic structure. The team at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory facilitated media visits to the clean room while the camera is positioned so that visitors can see its impressive focal plane (which contains 189 CCDs) through the camera’s three lenses. In total, the SLAC team hosted 21 visitors from 14 outlets in September, representing a range of media interests—local, national, science, print, radio, video and TV. 

Rubin Commissioning Camera Installed on the Telescope Mount

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August 30, 2022 - The Rubin Observatory Commissioning Camera (ComCam) was successfully installed on the Telescope Mount Assembly (TMA) on the summit of Cerro Pachón on August 24, 2022. This is the first of many optical components to be integrated with the telescope structure, and an important step towards getting real astronomical data flowing from the observatory. 

Rubin Represents at AAS 240

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June 28, 2022 - The American Astronomical Society (AAS) offered its first hybrid conference (in-person and virtual attendance both supported) in over two years on June 8-13, in Pasadena, California, and Rubin Observatory was there! AAS 240 was one of the biggest summer meetings AAS has ever hosted, its 2022 winter meeting was scheduled to take place in Salt Lake City in January, but it was canceled at the last minute because of a spike in COVID-19 cases.

LSST Camera Progress - Together at Last

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May 13, 2022 - On April 8th, the LSST Camera team at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory successfully attached the Cryostat to the Camera Body in the IR2 clean room, bringing the camera’s three primary structures—the Cryostat, the Utility Trunk, and the Camera Body—together for the first time. The Cryostat contains the camera’s 201 sensors (each one 16 megapixels), and the 28" entrance lens (L3), with the ancillary electronics and vacuum systems installed on the outside. The Camera Body will ultimately provide support for the camera shutter, filter exchange system, and the two primary lenses (L1 and L2). 

Mirror Wash Tests

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April 27, 2022 - Washing and drying an 8.4-meter mirror is no simple task, but with specialized equipment and procedures that are now being developed, the team on the summit will be able to keep both of Rubin Observatory’s mirrors clean and optimally reflective throughout the ten-year Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). This video shows the washing station in action with the mirror surrogate, as the team works on defining the washing and drying parameters that will be used to clean the real Primary/Tertiary Mirror (M1M3) in the future. 

A New Look for the Dome

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April 12, 2022 - The Rubin Observatory dome has a new look, after the team from EIE and the Chilean contractor SyR applied natural mill-finished aluminum sheeting to the dome’s exterior over the last several months. No longer white, the dome’s snazzy reflective surface appears silver, or sometimes blue as it reflects the sky.

Keeping it Clean

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Finding the Balance

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How do you design an automated astronomical survey that enables as much science as possible? For the past few years, the Rubin Observatory team has worked closely with the scientific community to focus on this question, and now Rubin Observatory is in the final stages of defining the initial survey strategy for the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST).

Announcement: Director’s Office appointments / Anuncio - Nombramientos en la Oficina del Director

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**Versión en Español más abajo**

Dear Colleagues,

Since my appointment as Director of Rubin Construction I’ve been working with the team to set up further appointments in the Director’s office (pending NSF approval). 

Željko Ivezić appointed Director of Rubin Observatory Construction

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Dear Colleagues,

It is my pleasure to communicate to you all that Matt Mountain (AURA President) has announced that Željko Ivezić will assume the role of Director of Rubin Observatory Construction upon my departure from the Project on January 3, 2022. 

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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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