Vera C. Rubin Observatory
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory, previously referred to as the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), is an astronomical observatory currently under construction in Chile. Its main task will be carrying out a synoptic astronomical survey, the Legacy Survey of Space and Time. 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. The LSST Base Facility is located about 100 kilometres (62 mi) away 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.
Rendering of completed LSST | |
| Alternative names | LSST |
|---|---|
| Named after | Vera Rubin |
| Location(s) | Elqui Province, Coquimbo Region, Chile |
| Coordinates | 30°14′40.7″S 70°44′57.9″W |
| Organization | Large Synoptic Survey Telescope Corporation |
| Observatory code | X05 |
| Altitude | 2,663 m (8,737 ft), top of pier |
| Wavelength | 320–1060 nm |
| First light | Expected in January 2025 |
| Telescope style | Three-mirror anastigmat, Paul-Baker / Mersenne-Schmidt wide-angle |
| Diameter | 8.417 m (27.6 ft) physical 8.360 m (27.4 ft) optical 5.116 m (16.8 ft) inner |
| Secondary diameter | 3.420 m (1.800 m inner) |
| Tertiary diameter | 5.016 m (1.100 m inner) |
| Angular resolution | 0.7″ median seeing limit 0.2″ pixel size |
| Collecting area | 35 square meters (376.7 sq ft) |
| Focal length | 10.31 m (f/1.23) overall 9.9175 m (f/1.186) primary |
| Mounting | altazimuth mount |
| Website | http://rubinobservatory.org/ |
Location of Vera C. Rubin Observatory | |
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The Rubin Observatory will house the Simonyi Survey Telescope, a wide-field reflecting telescope with an 8.4-meter primary mirror that will photograph the entire available sky every few nights. 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 CCD imaging camera, the largest digital camera ever constructed.
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 National Science Foundation (NSF) authorized the FY2014 portion ($27.5 million) of its construction budget. Funding comes from the NSF, the United States Department of Energy, and private funding raised by the dedicated international non-profit organization, the LSST Corporation. Operations are under the management of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA). Total construction cost is expected to be about $680 million.
Site construction began on 14 April 2015 with the ceremonial laying of the first stone. First light for the engineering camera is expected in August 2024, 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. LSST data is scheduled to become fully public after two years.