It’s been more than two decades since the University of Washington helped kick off the effort to get the Vera C. Rubin Observatory built in Chile — and now that it’s finished, UW astronomers are gearing up to get in on the first decade of discoveries. The university’s role in the past, present and future of the […]

The first batch of test images from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory is scheduled to be released Monday at 11:30 a.m. EST, followed by a news conference at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington.

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 […]

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.

Get ready to join us on June 23, 2025 as we unveil the first spectacular imagery from NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, and celebrate the start of a new era in astronomy and astrophysics with the world’s newest and most powerful survey telescope.

UW astronomy undergrads use cutting-edge coding skills to help scientists make the most of discoveries from a revolutionary new telescope.