The Vera C Rubin Observatory is set to open its doors, perched on a Chilean mountain, with the aim to transform our understanding of the cosmos. This US-funded observatory boasts the world's largest digital camera and will capture images of the Southern Hemisphere over the next decade.

After 10 years of construction and a cost of $1.2 billion, the observatory is ready to unveil its first snapshots to the public. Countries like Australia have contributed to its development, with astronomers eagerly awaiting the wealth of information it will provide.

The World's Largest Camera

Located on the Chilean mountain of Cerro Pachón, the Rubin Observatory sits 2,647 meters above sea level, offering an unobstructed view of the night sky. Inside, an 8.4-meter-wide mirror telescope will feed light into a massive camera, the size of a car.

This 3,000-kilogram camera, the largest digital camera ever made, will use six colored filters to capture images in various light spectra, providing a detailed view of the cosmos. It will photograph the entire Southern Hemisphere sky every couple of days for a decade, enabling astronomers to observe changes in real-time.

Who was Vera Rubin?

The observatory is named after Vera Rubin, the renowned US astronomer who first discovered evidence of dark matter. Born out of a quest to solve the mystery of dark matter, the observatory will also help spot rare celestial objects and phenomena.

What Will the Telescope Reveal?

In addition to dark matter, the Rubin Observatory will help astronomers observe stars, supernovas, quasars, and gravitational lensing. It will also provide insights into distant galaxies and large-scale objects, as well as detect asteroids and comets that could pose a threat to Earth.

The first images from the Rubin Observatory will be unveiled this week, with researchers anticipating groundbreaking discoveries within the first year of operation. Australian astronomers have played a crucial role in processing the vast amounts of data generated by the observatory, ensuring timely access to valuable information for further research.