Constellations & Bright Star Practical - Brynna George
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Vera C. Rubin (LSST)
The idea of the Vera C. Rubin telescope was first formulated in the 1990s when a group of scientists gathered to brainstorm a new telescope that would expand the knowledge of astronomy. The scientist mainly focused their discussion on dark matter and how a telescope could help uncover mysteries of the concealed matter. Over the next several years, the topic of a telescope that looks at dark matter grew, gaining popularity among astronomers. In 2001, the Astronomy and Astrophysics survey in the New Millennium by the Astronomy and Astrophysics Survey Committee further emphasized the topic's popularity by labeling it an important initiative. The release of this survey increased the scientists' excitement about creating a new telescope that could provide further information on dark matter. A plan was finally formulated to construct a telescope to capture night sky pictures for ten years. These images would include 90% of asteroids near Earth with imposing threats, tiny objects that have never been seen, and document events in the universe that are easily missed. All this new data will provide astronomers with information on black matter, the evolution of our galaxy, and rapid events such as supernovas.
At the time, the telescope was named the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LLST) because of its primary design of getting information by taking surveys of the sky. These surveys would reveal information over a planned period of ten years on the universe's evolution, dark matter, mapping the universe, how objects and structures form/move, and gain knowledge on unanswered questions. Several years later, in June 2019, an initiative by Eddie Bernice Johnson, a committee chairwoman of the
House Science, Space and Technology Committee, and Jennifer González-Colón, a Congresswoman, was started to rename the observatory. The law was enacted in December 2019 to change the name to Vera C. Rubin Observatory after Dr. Vera Rubin to honor her contribution to astronomy on the discovery of dark matter. Dr. Rubin is considered one of the most prominent female influences on astronomy, and
with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory focusing on uncovering the mysteries of dark matter, they want to honor her. The Vera C. Rubin telescope operates at a wavelength that ranges in nanometers from 320 to 1,060. This covers light from ultraviolet to near-infrared, broken down into more labels, u, g, r, i, z, and y, to make it easier to be specific when naming the wavelengths. These wavelengths aim to ensure that the telescope can observe every possible object in the universe, even objects as small as dust, to ensure they capture an accurate survey to create their map. The main instrument on the telescope is a one-of-
a-kind 3,200-megapixel camera. This camera will be able to capture the whole night sky in three nights over the course of 10 years, collecting more data and objects than ever before. This camera will provide discoveries to astronomy as it is the world's giant digital camera with the ability to create maps of every galaxy, locate all the matter, especially dark matter, and uncover how the universe looked a billion years ago. After researching the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, my knowledge of telescopes has grown. The concept that most fascinated me about telescopes, especially this one, is how far and wide the camera can capture. Amazingly, a camera from Earth can reach the night sky and capture images of the universe. Learning about how telescopes can range in various wavelengths was very interesting during my research, specifically that each wavelength can be further broken down depending on what the astronomer wants to pick up. The Vera C. Rubin has grown my knowledge of astronomy and shown me that there is so much about the universe that is unknown and waiting to be discovered. This new telescope is thought to bring significant discoveries, unlike any other telescope that typically focuses on narrowing its images. Instead, the Vera C. Rubin will attempt to expand their ideas to see more of the universe than ever before. I’m looking forward to learning about what new significant discoveries this new telescope will bring to the field and how it will further develop our knowledge of the universe.
Work Cited
“History.” Rubin Observatory RSS
, rubinobservatory.org/about/history. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023. “Large Synoptic Survey Telescope.” Illinois Distributed Museum
, distributedmuseum.illinois.edu/exhibit/large-synoptic-survey-telescope/#:~:text=The%20main
%20goal%20of%20the,and%20the%20objects%20in%20it. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023. Magazine, Smithsonian. “For the First Time, a National U.S. Observatory Has Been Named for a Female Astronomer: Vera Rubin.” Smithsonian.Com
, Smithsonian Institution, 8 Jan. 2020, www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-telescope-facility-renamed-commemorate-dark-
matter-scientist-vera-rubin-180973923/. “Rubin’s 8.4-Meter Mirror Reaches the Summit.” Rubin Observatory RSS
, rubinobservatory.org/news/rubins-8-4-meter-mirror-reaches-the-summit. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023. Shari. “Large Synoptic Survey Telescope Named after Astronomer Vera C. Rubin.” AURA Astronomy
, 8 Jan. 2020, www.aura-astronomy.org/blog/2020/01/06/large-synoptic-survey-telescope-named-
after-astronomer-vera-c-rubin/. Skibba, Ramin. “A New 3,200-Megapixel Camera Has Astronomers Salivating.” Wired
, Conde Nast, 20 Oct. 2022, www.wired.com/story/a-new-3200-megapixel-camera-has-astronomers-salivating/. “Supported Observatory Renamed for Astronomer Vera C. Rubin.” NSF
, new.nsf.gov/news/nsf-
supported-observatory-renamed-astronomer-vera. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023. Telescope, Large Synoptic Survey. “Rubin Observatory Optical Design.” Rubin Observatory
, 9 Apr. 2020, www.lsst.org/about/tel-site/optical_design.
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Telescope, Large Synoptic Survey. “Vera C. Rubin Observatory Science Goals.” Rubin Observatory
, 21 May 2020, www.lsst.org/science. “Vera C. Rubin Observatory.” NOIRLab Science
, noirlab.edu/science/programs/vera-c-rubin-
observatory#:~:text=Rubin%20Observatory%20is%20a%20complex,and%20a%20public
%20engagement%20platform. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023. “Vera Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time: Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology (KIPAC).” Vera Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time | Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology (KIPAC)
, kipac.stanford.edu/research/projects/vera-rubin-
observatorys-legacy-survey-space-and-time. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.