Rubin Observatory/LSSTCam

New 3D, interactive visualization of planets and minor planets in our solar system lets you explore Rubin discoveries in real time.

On Monday, scientists and engineers reacted to the first images from the NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, marking a historic milestone.

Two decades ago, Stanford and SLAC took a gamble on an unproven telescope design. Now it's on the verge of paying off.

The state-of-the-art ‘big-data facility’ unveils its first images and video, bringing the night sky to life like never before.

In about 10 hours of observations, NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory discovered 2,104 never-before-seen asteroids in our solar system, including seven near-Earth asteroids (which pose no danger). 

Made from over 1,100 images captured by NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, the video begins with a close-up of two galaxies then zooms out to reveal about 10 million galaxies. 

A view of Cerro Pachón at sunset in 2024 shows the Rubin Observatory with Gemini South and SOAR in the distance, ahead of Rubin’s 10-year survey of the southern sky.

A drone circles the Rubin Observatory at sunset in 2024, just before it begins a 10-year survey of the southern sky.