On October 26, 2024, in the Andes of northern Chile, the Vera Rubin Observatory is nearing completion of the world's largest digital camera, poised to capture the night sky in unprecedented detail.
The telescope, located at an altitude of 2,682 meters, will operate with a resolution of 3,200 megapixels, equivalent to the pixel count of approximately 300 smartphones. Each image will cover an area of the sky as large as 40 full moons.
Every three nights, the telescope is expected to photograph the entire visible sky, generating thousands of images that will help astronomers observe transient events and moving objects. It aims to discover about 17 billion stars and 20 billion galaxies previously unseen.
Constructed since 2015 and named after Vera Rubin, who first confirmed the existence of dark matter, the telescope will operate for a decade, capturing 1,000 images nightly. The data generated will significantly advance scientific understanding in various fields, including the inventory of the solar system and the nature of dark matter.
The camera can produce an image every 30 seconds, leading to a daily data output of 20 terabytes. This massive dataset will undergo analysis using artificial intelligence to detect changes or moving objects in the night sky, generating around 10 million alerts per night.
Data will be shared with selected astronomers annually and made publicly available after two years. The telescope's findings are expected to impact four major research areas: mapping the solar system, studying transient objects, understanding dark matter, and exploring the structure of our galaxy.
According to astronomers, the telescope will provide insights into longstanding questions regarding dark matter and dark energy by mapping their distribution based on gravitational lensing effects.
Additionally, the Vera Rubin Observatory may help in the search for the elusive Planet 9, potentially revealing more about the dynamics of our solar system's outer regions.
Overall, the observatory is anticipated to enhance our understanding of the universe, offering new pathways for astronomical research and potentially uncovering the true nature of dark matter.