News

UW helps bring the cosmos into focus as the Vera C. Rubin Observatory unveils a new glimpse into the solar system

June 24, 2025 | UW News | by Jackson Holtz

A new era of astronomy and astrophysics began Monday when the first images captured by the NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory were released, demonstrating the extraordinary capabilities of the new telescope and the world’s largest digital camera. Officials in Washington, D.C., unveiled large, ultra-high-definition images and videos, as well as discoveries of thousands of new asteroids. Astronomers and […]

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Welcome to the Rubin Era

June 23, 2025 | James Davenport | DiRAC

The Rubin Observatory released its first images to the world today… and our work will never be the same.

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Earth’s Largest Camera Takes 3 Billion-Pixel Images of the Night Sky

June 20, 2025 | The New York Times | By Jonathan Corum and Kenneth Chang

At the heart of the new Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile is the world’s largest digital camera. About the size of a small car, it will create an unparalleled map of the night sky. The observatory’s first public images of the sky are expected to be released on June 23. Here’s how its camera […]

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The Rubin Observatory is throwing a big party to reveal its first pictures — and you’re invited

June 20, 2025 | GeekWire | by Alan Boyle

After more than 20 years of planning and construction, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory is ready for its grand opening, and the world is invited. The observatory in the foothills of the Chilean Andes features a monster of a telescope, with an 8.4-meter-wide (28-foot-wide) mirror, coupled with what’s said to be the world’s largest digital camera.

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World’s Biggest Digital Camera Will Release Its First Photos of the Night Sky. Here’s How to Watch Live

June 18, 2025 | Stephanie Pappas | Scientific American

During the public events on June 23, 2025, you’ll get to watch one of the observatory’s high-resolution time-lapse “movies” of the visible sky. It will be sky watching in high definition: the observatory is designed to show very detailed views of the universe in crisp detail over wide areas, so viewers will get a glimpse […]

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