Rubin Observatory Launches 10-Year LSST With 3,200-Megapixel Camera in Chile

3 articles · Updated · rubinobservatory.org · Jun 30

NSF–DOE’s Rubin Observatory has officially started the Legacy Survey of Space and Time after final commissioning, readiness reviews and scientific validation cleared the system for full operations.
The Chile-based observatory will image the southern sky every few nights for 10 years, taking a new 3,200-megapixel image about every 40 seconds and revisiting each point roughly 800 times.
Rubin is already generating discovery-scale output—about 10 terabytes of data and as many as 7 million sky-change alerts each night for automated brokers and follow-up telescopes.
Early optimization surveys found more than 11,000 previously unseen asteroids in six weeks, including 33 near-Earth objects and 380 trans-Neptunian objects.
When the survey ends, Rubin is expected to deliver a public dataset covering billions of objects and trillions of measurements, aimed at probing dark matter, dark energy and other transient cosmic events.

Sources

rubinobservatory.org4h ago

NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory Launches Ten-Year Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST)

The Washington Post6h ago

A giant telescope goes on a decade-long search for dark matter - Washington Post

The Tribune India4h ago

Largest digital camera ever built begins decade-long survey of universe - The Tribune

8 Sources

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LSST Launches: Inside the Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s Decade-Long, Trillion-Measurement Revolution in Astronomy

Overview

On June 30, 2026, the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) officially began operations at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, marking a major milestone in astronomy. Over the next decade, LSST will conduct a comprehensive survey of the night sky, collecting trillions of measurements of billions of celestial objects. This immense dataset will be made publicly accessible, encouraging global collaboration among scientists and citizen scientists. By combining ambitious goals with cutting-edge technology, LSST is set to revolutionize our understanding of the universe and foster a new era of discovery and participation in cosmic research.

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