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Forbes
13-07-2025
- Science
- Forbes
World's Biggest Camera May Find 50 Interstellar Objects, Scientists Say
Countless star trails appear as colorful brushstrokes spread across the night sky above NSF–DOE Vera ... More C. Rubin Observatory, jointly funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science. This mesmerizing image was created using long-exposure photography, a technique in which a photographer allows light to enter their camera lens for a period of several minutes to several hours. The camera captures the subject's movements, and the resulting image shows the flow of time in a single shot. During its decade-long Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) Rubin will use a technique known as difference imaging: equipped with the largest camera ever built, Rubin will image the southern sky every few nights. Scientists will stack these images into ultra-long exposures and create a template image of the southern sky. When this template is compared to individual images, scientists will be able to identify 'movements' in the night sky, such as new supernovae or the 'pulsations' of variable stars. After 10 years and thousands of exposures, Rubin will produce an unprecedented ultra-wide, ultra-high-definition, time-lapse record of our Universe — the ultimate movie of the night sky. This image was captured by Hernán Stockebrand, a NOIRLab Audiovisual Ambassador. The new Vera C. Rubin Observatory detected interstellar object 3I/ATLAS and may detect up to 50 more during its 10-year mission, according to a new model. The observatory in Chile, which unveiled its first images last month, is equipped with a unique view of the night sky, supported by the world's largest camera. What Is The Vera C. Rubin Observatory? A new survey telescope in Chile, the Rubin Observatory, looks set to become astronomy's most ambitious and productive eye on the sky ever made. It will begin a 10-year mission later this year, during which it's expected to discover 10 million supernovas, 20 billion galaxies, and millions of asteroids and comets. About the size of a car, Rubin's $168 million LSSTCam imager — the most sensitive optical device ever made — weighs over three tons and captures 3,200-megapixel images. Every image is big enough to fill 378 4K screens. It took 10 years to manufacture, features six optical filters, and, crucially, has a 9.6 square-degree field of view — it can see a large portion of the sky at once. What Is 3I/ATLAS? Discovered on July 1, 2025, by the ATLAS telescope network at El Sauce Observatory in Chile and thought to be around 12 miles (20 kilometers) in diameter, 3I/ATLAS's eccentric trajectory suggests that it's from outside the solar system. The third interstellar object ever to be found after 'Oumuamua in 2017 and a comet called 2I/Borisov in 2019, 3I/ATLAS could be three billion years older than the solar system — the oldest comet ever seen. It could even be up to 14 billion years old, according to Matthew Hopkins, an astronomer at the University of Oxford, who spoke on July 11 at the Royal Astronomical Society's National Astronomy Meeting in Durham, U.K., about a new model, the Ōtautahi–Oxford Model, that simulates the properties of interstellar objects based on their orbits and likely stellar origins. Why Rubin Will Find Interstellar Objects The next interstellar object to enter the solar system is likely to be discovered by the Rubin telescope. Objets such as 3I/ATLAS are incredibly faint when they are far from the sun, but Rubin's wide field and large aperture make it ideal for finding interstellar objects. 'Rubin's speed means it also scans 18,000 square degrees every few nights,' said Bob Blum, Director of Rubin Observatory Operations, in an email. 'The combination of depth, field of view, and speed is ideal for finding rare objects.' With all of this in its favor, Rubin is expected to find any interstellar objects sooner than other facilities because it will detect them when they're farther away. 'We expect Rubin will be able to find at least multiple 10's of these rare interlopers over the course of its 10-year survey,' said Bloom. It's already begun its work, with Rubin's team locating 3I/ATLAS in test images taken since early June and now studying the object in the night sky. A Surprising Discovery For astronomers working on how to best detect interstellar objects, the sudden arrival of 3I/ATLAS took them by surprise — just as they were preparing to begin using the Rubin Observatory. 'The solar system science community was already excited about the potential discoveries Rubin will make in the next 10 years, including an unprecedented number of interstellar objects,' said co-researcher Dr Rosemary Dorsey of the University of Helsinki. 'The discovery of 3I suggests that prospects for Rubin may now be more optimistic; we may find about 50 objects, of which some would be similar in size to 3I." Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
Gizmodo
28-06-2025
- Science
- Gizmodo
Rubin Observatory's Stunning Result Proves It's a ‘Game Changer' for Spotting Dangerous Asteroids
Astronomers usually keep their eyes on the sky, but on Monday, June 23, the community turned its attention toward Washington, D.C., as scientists from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory unveiled the telescope's first images. Many have waited more than 20 years to see Rubin in action, and its initial findings did not disappoint. Rubin, a joint initiative of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Science, recently conducted its first 10 hours of test observations. In just that short period, the observatory produced dazzling images and discovered more than 2,000 previously unknown asteroids, including seven near-Earth asteroids. None of them pose a threat to our planet, but through this wealth of new data, the observatory has already proved to be a game changer for asteroid hunters working on planetary defense. By conducting unprecedentedly fast and detailed surveys of the entire southern sky, Rubin will allow scientists to find and track more space rocks than ever before. 'As this camera system was being designed, we all knew it was going to be breathtaking in what it delivered, but this has exceeded all our expectations,' Richard Binzel, a professor of planetary sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and inventor of the Torino Scale—a tool for categorizing potential Earth impact events—told Gizmodo. Data on those 2,000 new asteroids went directly to the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center (MPC), the globally recognized organization responsible for cataloging and disseminating data on asteroids, comets, and other small celestial bodies. It plays an essential role in the early detection and monitoring of asteroids that threaten Earth. The MPC has spent years preparing for the deluge of data from Rubin, ramping up its software to process massive amounts of observations. When the first round officially came flooding in on Monday, it was 'nerve-racking and exciting simultaneously,' Matthew Payne, MPC director, told Gizmodo. This was just a taste of what's to come. In a few months, Rubin will begin the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), a decade-long, near-continuous survey of the southern sky. This will produce an ultrawide, ultra-high-definition time-lapse record of the universe. In terms of asteroids, that means the MPC will receive about 250 million observations per year from LSST, according to Payne. 'For us, that's a game changer in the total amount of data that we're getting, because at the moment we get somewhere in the region of 50 to 60 million a year,' he said. Rubin's remarkable abilities stem from its remarkable instruments. Equipped with a unique three-mirror telescope design and the largest digital camera ever built, this observatory can conduct all-sky surveys while still detecting very faint objects like asteroids. This bridges a key gap between existing technologies, Payne explained. When hunting space rocks, 'you need to go as deep as possible,' Peter Veres, an MPC astrophysicist, told Gizmodo. 'That's what the LSST does, and none of the survey telescopes in the world that aim at planetary defense do that.' During this 10-year survey, Rubin will observe the cosmos on an automated schedule using its 27.6-foot (8.4-meter) Simonyi Survey telescope. Each 30-second exposure will cover an area about 45 times the size of the full Moon. Then, the enormous LSST camera will capture wide-field images and stitch them together to create a complete view of the southern sky every three nights. The combination of Rubin's huge field of view, short exposure time, and its ability to rapidly sweep the sky will yield an avalanche of asteroid discoveries, Veres explained. In 2005, Congress ordered NASA to build a near-Earth object (NEO) survey program to detect, track, catalogue, and characterize the physical characteristics of all near-Earth asteroids and comets at least 328 feet (100 meters) in diameter. If one of these objects struck our planet, it would cause mass destruction that would decimate life on a continental scale, Payne said. The goal was to find 90% of them by 2020, but current estimates show NASA has only found about 40%, he explained. LSST could help NASA pick up the pace. 'It's just going to start revolutionizing our understanding of this population of things,' Payne said. Binzel agrees. 'Those objects are out there, whether we see them or not,' he said. 'Now we're going to see them, and we'll be able to determine that most—if not all of them—are going to safely pass by the Earth in the coming decades. But the best news is if an object has our name on it already, we will be able to find it most likely many, many years—if not decades—before it would come toward Earth.' In theory, that would give NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDOC) time to launch a mission to intercept the asteroid. PDOC is still developing this capability, but in 2022, it launched the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission, which sent a spacecraft on a 10-month-long journey to collide with the asteroid moonlet Dimorphos. The collision successfully changed Dimorphos' orbital path, demonstrating NASA's ability to deflect a large asteroid away from Earth if given enough time. Given Rubin's clear potential to revolutionize planetary defense efforts—and the global attention it has received—one would expect NASA to be singing its praises. That has not been the case. The agency has kept strangely quiet about the observatory's launch—and in fact, it appears to be ignoring Rubin's first discoveries altogether. 'It's a warp drive version of finding asteroids,' Keith Cowing, an astrobiologist and former NASA employee who now serves as editor of NASA Watch, told Gizmodo. 'You'd think that the planetary defense people would be in the front row cheering it on, saying, 'send me the data!'' NASA did not share any public information about Monday's event and has not promoted the observatory's findings. When Gizmodo reached out for comment on Rubin's contributions to planetary science and defense, NASA declined and recommended reaching out to the observatory instead. On Tuesday, June 24, the agency's Office of the Inspector General published a report on the implementation and management of NASA's planetary defense strategy. The report only briefly mentions Rubin alongside NASA's forthcoming NEO Surveyor, a space telescope designed to find asteroids that could hit Earth. 'These new observatories are expected to find and track significantly more NEOs than current capabilities, which will likely mean a substantial increase in necessary follow-up observations,' the report states. NASA's PDCO and its planetary science program will undoubtedly use data gathered by the LSST, so what's with the cold shoulder? Cowing thinks it's a symptom of the agency's inner turmoil. 'They're jittery at NASA,' he said. 'Their budgets are being cut from all sides—they don't know what the final budget will be, but the White House wants to slash it—and they're having to react to this with whatever is at hand.' Indeed, President Donald Trump's 2026 budget proposal would cut NASA's science funding by a whopping 47%, potentially killing more than 40 missions, according to The Planetary Society. 'The only good news is what didn't get shot,' Cowing said. He suspects that most NASA employees—including planetary defense personnel—are in survival mode. 'What do you do when you simply don't know if you'll have a job, if the person next to you will have a job, or if you're gonna need to compete for the same job?' Cowing asked. 'That's what's at the heart of this. It's just this general malaise and fear, and people are simply not doing the routine, professional, collaborative, collegial work that they would do across agencies and countries.' As NASA science crumbles, it's unclear whether the agency will have the resources and personnel to take full advantage of Rubin's data. Though the PDCO currently leads the world's planetary defense efforts, that could soon change. Binzel, however, is optimistic. 'Great nations do great science,' he said. 'I continue to have faith that our nation will continue to do great science.
The Independent
25-06-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Previously unseen corners of the universe revealed by largest digital camera ever built
The largest digital camera ever built released its first shots of the universe Monday, including colorful nebulas, stars and galaxies. The Vera C. Rubin Observatory, located on a mountaintop in Chile, was built to take a deeper look at the night sky, covering hidden corners. Funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and U.S. Department of Energy, it will survey the southern sky for the next 10 years. The observatory's first look features the vibrant Trifid and Lagoon nebulas located thousands of light-years from Earth. A light-year is nearly 6 trillion miles. A gaggle of galaxies known as the Virgo Cluster were also captured, including two bright blue spirals. The observatory hopes to image 20 billion galaxies and discover new asteroids and other celestial objects. The effort is named after astronomer Vera Rubin, who offered the first evidence that a mysterious force called dark matter might be lurking in the universe. Researchers hope the observatory's discerning camera may yield clues about this elusive entity along with another called dark energy.
The Independent
23-06-2025
- Science
- The Independent
The largest digital camera ever built has released its first shots of the universe
The largest digital camera ever built released its first glamour shots of the universe Monday — including colorful nebulas, stars and galaxies. The Vera C. Rubin Observatory, located on a mountaintop in Chile, was built to take a deeper look at the night sky, covering hidden corners. Funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and U.S. Department of Energy, it will survey the southern sky for the next 10 years. The observatory's first look features the vibrant Trifid and Lagoon nebulas located thousands of light-years from Earth. A light-year is nearly 6 trillion miles. A gaggle of galaxies known as the Virgo Cluster were also captured, including two bright blue spirals. The observatory hopes to image 20 billion galaxies and discover new asteroids and other celestial objects. The largest digital camera ever built has released its first glamour shots of the universe Show all 3 The effort is named after astronomer Vera Rubin, who offered the first tantalizing evidence that a mysterious force called dark matter might be lurking in the universe. Researchers hope the observatory's discerning camera may yield clues about this elusive entity along with another called dark energy. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
National Post
23-06-2025
- Science
- National Post
The largest digital camera ever built releases its first shots of the universe
NEW YORK — The largest digital camera ever built released its first shots of the universe Monday — including colourful nebulas, stars and galaxies. Article content The Vera C. Rubin Observatory, located on a mountaintop in Chile, was built to take a deeper look at the night sky, covering hidden corners. Funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and U.S. Department of Energy, it will survey the southern sky for the next 10 years. Article content Article content Article content The observatory's first look features the vibrant Trifid and Lagoon nebulas, located thousands of light-years from Earth. A light-year is nearly 10 trillion kilometres. A gaggle of galaxies known as the Virgo Cluster were also captured, including two bright blue spirals. Article content Article content
