We have reached a major milestone in the Vera C. Rubin Observatory. The installation of TELESCOPE’s huge LSST camera begins the final optical components needed before the final stage of the test.
The car-sized large synopsis-layer survey telescope (LSST) camera recently installed at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory is the largest digital camera ever built and will be used for 10 years to capture detailed images of the southern hemisphere sky.
“The installation of LSST cameras on a telescope is a victory for science and engineering,” said Harriet Kang, acting director of the Department of Energy’s Science Bureau. statement. “We look forward to seeing the unprecedented images this camera generates.”
The telescope is funded by the US National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Science Bureau and is named after American astronomer Dr. Bella C. Rubin. Along with his colleague Kent Ford, Rubin observed that in the numerous galaxies they studied, stars at their outer edges move as fast as galaxies near the center. This was unusual. Because, according to Newtonian physics and Kepler’s laws of planetary motion, the fact that it is far from the center of the gravity system is that it orbits more slowly due to its weak gravitational gravitational force.
After occupying all the visible material, the gravity from the observed mass was not sufficient to bind these rapidly moving stars to the galaxy. Without the additional mass that provided extra gravity, the galaxies would have fallen apart. This contradiction led to the conclusion that the masses of invisible forms, now known as dark matter, bring them together.
Following its name, Rubin telescope explores the mysteries of dark energy and dark matter with cutting-edge technology. The cutting-edge mirror design, highly sensitive cameras, rapid research speeds and advanced computing infrastructure each represent breakthroughs in their respective fields.
Every few nights, they investigate the entire sky and create “a very large, ultra-high resolution time-lapse record of the universe,” the statement adds. Each image is so large that you’ll need a 400 ultra-high resolution TV screen to display it.
“This unique film brings the night sky to life and creates a treasure trove of discoveries such as asteroids and comets, pulsating stars, and Supernova explosions.” situation Observatory website.
The LSST camera is an engineering wonder, but its installation was just as difficult. In March 2025, after months of testing in the Rubin Observatory’s clean room, the summit team used a vertical platform lift to move the camera to the telescope floor. The custom lifting device was then carefully placed and secured to the telescope for the first time.
“Moving the LSST camera on the Simonyi telescope was an effort that required intense planning, teamwork across the observation deck, and implementation of millimeter science,” said Freddy Muñoz of Rubin Observatory Mechanical Group Lead. “It’s a moment of pride for us all to see the LSST camera replace it with the telescope.”
Over the next few weeks, the LSST camera utility and system will be connected and tested. Soon you’re ready to capture detailed images of the night sky. The Rubin telescope, which is currently under construction in Cerro Pacheon, Chile, is expected to see its first light in 2025.
