Vera C. Rubin Observatory Captures Stars with 3,200-Megapixel Camera

Key Takeaways

1. The Vera C. Rubin Observatory has begun operations with the world’s largest 3,200-megapixel LSST CCD camera, located in Chile.
2. The project is funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy and honors astronomer Dr. Vera C. Rubin.
3. The LSST camera, weighing 2800 kg, captures images with a 64 cm wide focal plane, allowing it to photograph an area equivalent to 45 moons every two seconds.
4. The telescope can quickly change targets in just five seconds using linear motors, and it captures a wide spectrum of light from ultraviolet to near-infrared.
5. The observatory generates 20 TB of imaging data each night, which is processed at multiple global locations before being made public.


The NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory has started its operations with the biggest 3,200-megapixel LSST CCD camera, which is attached to the Simonyi Survey Telescope. This setup is used to capture images of the night sky from Cerro Pachón in Chile.

Funding and Background

This project is financed by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science. It carries the name of Dr. Vera C. Rubin, an American astronomer who was instrumental in the development of the dark matter concept.

Camera Specifications

The LSST is about the size of a car and employs a grid of 201 CCD sensors, each featuring 10 micron pixels. Out of these, 189 are dedicated for imaging and the rest for control functions. This setup creates a focal plane that is 64 cm wide, allowing it to capture an area equivalent to that of 45 moons (10 sq. deg.) with every two-second exposure. The focal plane is maintained at a frigid -100 °C (-148 °F) to minimize background noise in the 10 micron pixels.

The camera itself weighs around 2800 kg (6000 lbs) and is attached to the 220-ton Simonyi Survey telescope, which has a total weight of 199,580 kg. An innovative 8.4-meter mirror serves the dual purpose of primary and tertiary mirrors by utilizing two distinct reflective curves. Light bounces between this mirror and a 3.4 m secondary mirror before reaching the LSST camera.

Slewing and Imaging

Thanks to linear motors powered by energy from capacitors, the entire telescope can be slewed to a new target in just five seconds, as the system recaptures energy to halt the telescope’s motion.

In front of the sensors, light travels through three lenses that range from 5.1 ft. (1.57 m) to 27 in. (0.69 m) in size before it reaches six interchangeable filters that measure 75 cm (30 in). This allows the camera to capture light from the ultraviolet to the near-infrared spectrum (320 to 1050 nm). The shutter aperture opens in 0.9 seconds, with an impressive precision of 1/1000th of a second.

Data Handling

To show each 3,200 MP image at a 1-to-1 ratio, a grid of 400 4K monitors is required. Each night, the Rubin Observatory generates a whopping 20 TB of imaging data. This data is sent over fiber optic cables from Chile to several locations, including the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in Menlo Park, California, CC-IN2P3 in Lyon, France, and the Iris Network in the UK for processing before it’s made public.

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