Vera C. Rubin Observatory

Also known as Rubin, LSST, Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, Rubin Observatory, Vera Rubin Observatory, LSST camera, NSF Vera C. Rubin Observatory

astronomical observatory in Chile

Key facts

Alternative names: Rubin
Named after: Vera Rubin
Location s: Elqui Province , Coquimbo Region , Chile
Observatory code: X05
Altitude: 2,672.75 m (8,768.9 ft)
Wavelength: 320 nm (940 THz)–1,060 nm (280 THz)
First light: June 2025
Diameter: 8.417 m (27 ft 7.4 in)
Secondary diameter: 3.420 m (11 ft 2.6 in)
Tertiary diameter: 5.016 m (16 ft 5.5 in)
Angular resolution: 0.7″ median seeing limit, 0.2″ pixel size
Collecting area: 35 m (380 sq ft)

Article

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory, formerly the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), is an astronomical observatory in Coquimbo Region, Chile. Its main task is to conduct an astronomical survey of the southern sky every few nights, creating a ten-year time-lapse record, termed the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (also abbreviated LSST). The observatory is located on the El Peñón peak of Cerro Pachón, a 2,682-meter-high (8,799 ft) mountain in northern Chile, alongside the existing Gemini South and Southern Astrophysical Research Telescopes. The base facility is located about 100 kilometres (62 miles) away from the observatory by road, in La Serena.

The observatory is named for Vera Rubin, an American astronomer who pioneered discoveries about galactic rotation rates. It is a joint initiative of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Science and is operated jointly by NSF NOIRLab and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.