Rubin Observatory launches decade-long survey of the universe

The NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory has officially launched its Legacy Survey of Space and Time, beginning a decade-long campaign to create what its operators call "the greatest cosmic movie ever made." The announcement on June 30, 2026, marks the culmination of more than two decades of planning, construction, and commissioning.news.fnal+1

A New Era in Astronomy

Operating from Cerro Pachón in Chile, Rubin Observatory will scan the entire southern sky every few nights for the next ten years, returning to each point in the sky approximately 800 times. Its 3,200-megapixel camera — the largest digital camera ever built — captures a new image roughly every 40 seconds, collecting about ten terabytes of data per night and producing up to seven million alerts of changes in the night sky.rubinobservatory

"Today, we begin filming the greatest cosmic movie ever made," said Brian Stone, performing the duties of the NSF Director. "This moment reflects decades of vision, innovation, and the power of federal investment in science through the U.S. National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy."rubinobservatory

The survey's science goals span some of the deepest questions in astrophysics: mapping dark matter and dark energy, cataloging supernovae and transient events, and compiling the most detailed census ever of Solar System objects. During early optimization surveys, Rubin had already discovered over 11,000 previously unknown asteroids, including 33 near-Earth objects.rubinobservatory

From First Light to Full Operations

The LSST launch follows a series of milestones. Rubin released its first telescope images in June 2025 and began issuing real-time scientific alerts in February 2026, sending 800,000 alerts to astronomers on its first night of alert operations. The decision to formally begin the survey followed a period of system optimization and a review of technical readiness, data system performance, and scientific validation, according to Željko Ivezić, Head of LSST.rubinobservatory+3

Open Data for the World

When complete, the final LSST dataset will contain billions of objects with trillions of measurements, all accessible to researchers worldwide through regular data releases. "Rubin Observatory is for everyone; the LSST will change how we do astronomy and astrophysics, allowing researchers anywhere to participate in cutting-edge science," said Bob Blum, Director of Rubin Observatory at NSF NOIRLab.rubinobservatory

The observatory is jointly operated by NSF NOIRLab and DOE's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, with contributions from more than 40 international organizations.news.stanford+1