NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory
LightNews LightNews
banner
vrubinobs.bsky.social
NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory
@vrubinobs.bsky.social
11K followers 91 following 450 posts
Get ready for a new era in astronomy and astrophysics with Rubin Observatory!

Para español siga a Instagram: http://instagram.com/rubin_observatory
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
vrubinobs.bsky.social
NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory @vrubinobs.bsky.social · Jun 24
Yesterday we released our cosmic treasure chest...and now it's yours to explore! With ✨~10 million galaxies✨ in the image, there's plenty to find.

Pan, zoom, and hunt for gems in this treasure chest using Skyviewer - and be sure to share your favorites with us! 🔭🧪

➡️ skyviewer.app/explorer
A field of galaxies of many shapes, sizes and colors, as well as the bright multi-colored points of stars. At left is a large elliptical galaxy, smooth like a polished stone. At right lies a large spiral galaxy that is nearly a ring, with bright golden core. To its lower left is a smaller spiral with a barred core. At top and bottom, two bright stars shine brightly with multi-colored diffraction spikes emanating out. In the background, hundreds of galaxies are just smudges of various colors. A field of galaxies of many shapes, sizes and colors, as well as the bright multi-colored points of stars. At top left is a large galaxy that is smooth like a stone, with wisps like cotton candy spiral from left and right. In the background, hundreds of galaxies of many shapes are just smudges of various colors against the black of space. / A field of galaxies of many shapes, sizes and colors, as well as the bright multi-colored points of stars. At bottom left is an elegant two-armed galaxy, with arms extended like a dancer viewed from above. The bright points of three stars form a triangle at top center. In the background, hundreds of galaxies of many shapes are just smudges of various colors against the black of space. A field of galaxies of many shapes, sizes and colors, as well as the bright multi-colored points of stars. At top right is a large galaxy with two whirling spiral arms wrapping around like a hug. At bottom left, two smooth elliptical galaxies appear near each other, like champagne glasses in the midst of a cheers. A bright star above the pair has red, green, and blue diffraction spikes emanating out. In the background, hundreds of galaxies of many shapes are just smudges of various colors. A field of galaxies of many shapes, sizes and colors, as well as the bright multi-colored points of stars. At center is a spiral galaxy peppered with tight, knotted clumps of vivid blue, young stars. In the background, hundreds of galaxies of many shapes are just smudges of various colors against the black of space.
vrubinobs.bsky.social
What does the fox say?🦊

Today, we’re showing off our favorite pictures of culpeo foxes we’ve spotted around Cerro Pachón, home of NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory. 📸

💡Fun fact: While these little guys look like foxes (and are called foxes), they’re actually more closely related to wolves and jackals!🔭
A fox sitting on dry grass illuminated by warm, golden sunset light in a rocky terrain. A fox resting on rocky ground near a large astronomical observatory dome under clear blue sky. Silhouette of a fox resting on the ground near a guardrail with the bright setting sun shining in a clear sky. A lone fox sitting on dry, cracked desert ground with sparse vegetation in the background.
November 28, 2025 at 5:10 PM
vrubinobs.bsky.social
🦃🍂 Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate from NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory! 🔭

Today (and all the time), we’re grateful for clear skies, operational telescopes, and the scientists, engineers, summit staff, educators, and everyone in between making it possible for Rubin to #CaptureTheCosmos 🌌✨
Sunset drone shot looking down into the open dome of a boot-shaped white observatory. The surrounding desert mountain landscape glows with golden sunset light. In the bottom third, an illustration with fall-themed leaves and pumpkins against a purple background reads "Happy Thanksgiving from Rubin Observatory"
November 27, 2025 at 4:10 PM
vrubinobs.bsky.social
🌕✨ Moonrise, meet the Milky Way 🌌

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory enjoys pristine views of our galaxy and the entire southern sky thanks to its high, dry, and dark site 🌌

In just months, Rubin will begin its decade-long survey, capturing the cosmos in unprecedented detail 🔭
Boot-shaped observatory on a rocky peak. The full moon glows brightly to the right, under the dense, sweeping band of the Milky Way rising toward the upper left.
November 26, 2025 at 6:10 PM
vrubinobs.bsky.social
We're blue-da-ba-dee-da-ba-di because blue is the color of cosmic creation! 💙

In these snapshots from NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory, brilliant blue galaxies are bursting with star formation, lighting up the Universe with newborn stars. 🌌✨

🔭🧪
Two side-by-side spiral galaxies sprinkled with the knotted blue clumps of star-forming regions. They sit against a black background peppered with hundreds of galaxies of various shapes, sizes, and colors. An edge-on, cigar-shaped galaxy, bright yellow toward the center and sprinkled with the knotted blue clumps of star-forming regions. The galaxy sits against a black background peppered with hundreds of galaxies of various shapes, sizes, and colors. A spiral galaxy with bright yellow core sprinkled with the knotted blue clumps of star-forming regions. The galaxy sits against a black background peppered with hundreds of galaxies of various shapes, sizes, and colors.
November 25, 2025 at 10:46 PM
vrubinobs.bsky.social
We're getting ever-closer to starting to film the greatest cosmic movie ever made! 🎬

The Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) is the decade-long survey that NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory will carry out, scanning the southern sky in greater detail than ever before. 🔭🧪
November 24, 2025 at 10:40 PM
vrubinobs.bsky.social
Officially in our Operations era✨

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory has concluded its Construction phase & entered Early Operations.

While day-to-day work continues, this milestone marks the home stretch of final fine-tuning ahead of the start of the ten-year LSST, just months away! 🔭🧪
November 21, 2025 at 10:34 PM
vrubinobs.bsky.social
Meet Observing Specialist Gonzalo Aravena! 🎉

In this video, he reflects on happiness with life in La Serena since joining NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory, and how Rubin’s vast scale and scientific potential continue to impress him 🔭🧪

🎥 Meet Gonzalo: https://youtu.be/4p6HDY-4YiE
Meet Gonzalo Aravena, Observing Specialist | Rubin Construction Archives
Observing Specialist Gonzalo Aravena shares his family’s pride in his work and their happiness with life in La Serena, where he was drawn by the opportunity ...
youtu.be
November 20, 2025 at 10:51 PM
vrubinobs.bsky.social
Something’s a little sus… 👀

Flares, flashes, and fakes — not every change in the night sky is what it seems 💥✨

Test your skills with Rubin Difference Detectives on Zooniverse! Help Rubin scientists spot cosmic events (and catch the imposters). 🌌🔍

👉 zooniverse.org/rubin
November 17, 2025 at 9:24 PM
vrubinobs.bsky.social
Two countries, one observatory 🌎🔭

Mechanical Engineer Margaux Lopez started at SLAC in California and moved to Chile in 2019 to help build the NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory. 🔭🧪

Learn about the challenges and curiosity that drive her work!
🎥 Meet Margaux https://youtu.be/Lk8bgNQtcEo
November 13, 2025 at 10:18 PM
vrubinobs.bsky.social
Today isn't just #Halloween🎃, it's also #DarkMatterDay!

Dark matter interacts via gravity, so while we can’t see it directly, we know it’s there.

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory's 10-year survey will measure distortions in billions of galaxies, revealing where dark matter is hiding.🔭🧪
October 31, 2025 at 8:14 PM
vrubinobs.bsky.social
A decade of discovery and dedication! 🌎🔭

Sandrine Thomas, Deputy Director for NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory Construction, reflects on her path — moving from France to the US, traveling to Chile, and sharing her work with her family.

🎥 Meet Sandrine https://youtu.be/_r-e0kzYjf4
October 30, 2025 at 10:07 PM
vrubinobs.bsky.social
Some galaxies love to hog the spotlight, but sometimes we see past them! 🔭

In this image from the #RubinFirstLook Cosmic Treasure Chest, a distant galaxy peeks from behind a large foreground galaxy.

This "layered" view helps scientists understand the 3D structure of the Universe 🌌🔭🧪
October 29, 2025 at 8:25 PM
vrubinobs.bsky.social
What if you could capture a two-hour sunset in a single photo?

This composite was built from ~6,000 photos taken on a night in mid-July, each contributing just one column of pixels.

Look closely and you’ll spot stars starting to twinkle in the upper left as the night begins ✨🔭🧪
A boot-shaped observatory against a sunset sky. The sky is lighter and blue on the right, transitioning to dark with twinkling stars on the left.
October 28, 2025 at 7:33 PM
vrubinobs.bsky.social
We come with receipts🧾

Tidal tails are cosmic “receipts” of galactic drama, showing who collided with whom. Rubin's camera is sharp enough to catch wind of even the faintest intergalactic tea.

No need to worry about "pics or it didn't happen" with Rubin keeping a close eye 😎 🔭🧪
A sprawling field of galaxies fills the deep black of space, dotted with glowing stars and colorful smudges of light. Near the top, a smooth golden elliptical galaxy glows like polished stone, linked by delicate, taffy-like streams of stars to nearby galaxies below—evidence of ancient cosmic collisions.
October 24, 2025 at 10:05 PM
vrubinobs.bsky.social
Fast, precise, unstoppable! ⚡🔭

Freddy Muñoz, who leads NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory's mechanical team on the summit, discusses how the speed of Rubin's Simonyi Survey Telescope will let us capture more objects in the Universe than ever before. 🔭🧪

🎥 Meet Freddy https://youtu.be/Vg7ZgU4y-dg
October 23, 2025 at 10:32 PM
vrubinobs.bsky.social
How do Rubin alerts work? 🌌📲

Think of Rubin Observatory as a friend constantly scrolling through the Universe’s social media feed. Every minute, they refresh and see what’s new — an asteroid has moved, a star has changed in brightness...or maybe even exploded in a supernova. 🔭🧪
October 22, 2025 at 11:20 PM
vrubinobs.bsky.social
Eye on the southern sky 🌌

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory is like a cosmic watchtower, capturing the entire visible sky every few nights.

Before, scientists would spend their careers looking for supernovae. But Rubin will accomplish in minutes or hours what used to take a lifetime! 🔭🧪
A boot-shaped observatory perched on its rocky mountain summit site under a star-filled sky with the Milky Way galaxy arching overhead.
October 17, 2025 at 7:45 PM
vrubinobs.bsky.social
Designing how Rubin decides what to observe and when🔭

Meet Tiago Ribeiro, Scheduler Scientist and Software Architect at NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory.

In this video, he shares his path from professor in Brazil to shaping large-scale projects like Rubin.

🎥 https://youtu.be/EnxGm5MtXjE
October 16, 2025 at 10:00 PM
vrubinobs.bsky.social
50+ years supporting astronomy in Chile 🌌🇨🇱

Hernán Bustos Binvignat, recently-retired Deputy Director at AURA in Chile — the organization that manages NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory — reflects on a career dedicated to world-class astronomy. 🔭🧪

🎥 Meet Hernán https://youtu.be/AoXYTPHsQwE
October 9, 2025 at 7:34 PM
vrubinobs.bsky.social
Golden hour hits different above 2600 meters. ✨🌅

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory basks in that sunset ✨glow✨ at its site on Cerro Pachón. And with over 300 clear nights on average per year here, that's a lot of sunset basking we get to do! 🔭🧪
Large boot-shaped observatory with a massive telescope dome reflecting orange and golden sunset light atop its rocky mountain site. Large boot-shaped observatory with a massive telescope dome atop its rocky mountain site, with the golden glow of sunset over the rolling peaks in the distance. Large boot-shaped observatory on a rocky mountain peak during a vibrant sunset with layered mountain ranges in the background. Drone shot of a massive teal telescope within an observatory's dome with a vertical opening, surrounded by winding mountain roads and dry terrain.
October 8, 2025 at 5:10 PM
vrubinobs.bsky.social
NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory is incredible, but we try to stay down to Earth...😉

How does Rubin take sharp images of the cosmos from the ground? Computer-controlled actuators adjust its mirrors and camera against wind or gravity in real time, keeping everything perfectly aligned. 💨🪞✨
A boot-shaped observatory sits atop its dry mountain site under a twilight sky filled with stars. The observatory’s open dome reveals the telescope inside, with a donut-shaped calibration screen mounted to the inside of the dome and illuminated by soft blue light. The surrounding mountains are silhouetted against the fading glow of sunset on the horizon.
October 6, 2025 at 8:35 PM
vrubinobs.bsky.social
It's International #ObserveTheMoon Night! 🌙

The Moon is dazzlingly bright — so bright that NSF-DOE Rubin Observatory will never point at it. But there are many Solar System objects that are incredibly faint, and that’s where Rubin shines.🔭🧪
The yellow disc of the full moon dominates the image. The moon has nearly risen above the horizon running along the bottom of the image, but is just cut off from being a perfect circle at the bottom. Rubin Observatory is silhouetted toward the right side of the moon, shaped like a boot with low service building extending to the right and shiny angular dome sticking up. A small-looking crane sits to the left of the observatory. A composite image shows the Vera C. Rubin Observatory on Cerro Pachón in Chile beneath a clear blue sky. Multiple exposures of the Moon, taken over time, form a diagonal trail across the sky, showing its motion as it sets. The observatory’s large, angular dome and surrounding rocky peaks stand out against the mountainous horizon in the distance. The sliver of a crescent moon hangs above a dark horizon next to a silhouetted Rubin Observatory amid a firey orange sky The yellow orb of the moon glows just above the horizon to the left of a white observatory building on a rocky landscape with a silver dome shining in the moonlight. The horizon cuts through the center of the image, and sparse clouds add interest to the blue-tinted sky.
October 4, 2025 at 4:10 PM
vrubinobs.bsky.social
Is dark matter a carb?

No, Gretchen, it's not, but we're trying to figure out what it is!

At 85% percent of the Universe's mass and energy, it's sort of like Gretchen's hair: big and full of secrets. 🔭🧪

📷: W. O'Mullane
A boot-shaped observatory atop its mountain site at twilight. The sky glows in gradients of purple, pink, and orange as the sun sets behind the mountains in the distance. Stars begin to appear above the angular, open observatory dome, which is illuminated against the colorful horizon.
October 3, 2025 at 9:20 PM
vrubinobs.bsky.social
Keeping NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory running takes critical systems working seamlessly behind the scenes ⚡🔧

Franco Colleoni, Electronic Engineer, shares the rewarding aspects of his work on Rubin's vital systems. 🔭🧪

🎥 Meet Franco: https://youtu.be/NMPBIBF2vdw
October 2, 2025 at 9:11 PM
vrubinobs.bsky.social
You glow girl! ✨

At NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory, the secret to achieving a glowing-from-within look is our calibration screen.🔭 🧪

It's glamorous, we know 💅

🧵
An ominous blue donut-shaped ring surrounded by a thin red ring glows ominously in the dark to the left. To the right, Rubin's large steel telescope mount structure is barely visible, softly illuminated by the glow.
October 1, 2025 at 7:50 PM