annee24009 — Announcement

Rubin Education News

2 December 2024

You may have heard that NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory is a survey telescope — but what does that mean? 

Survey telescopes, like the one at Rubin Observatory, make maps of the night sky by scanning and taking pictures of all regions of the sky instead of one specific object or set of objects. Rubin will take hundreds of images of the southern hemisphere sky, every night for ten years, for a survey called the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). The survey will yield a treasure trove of discoveries: asteroids and comets, pulsating stars, and supernova explosions. 

Rubin Observatory has developed some engaging resources to help introduce the concept of a survey telescope, which are available at rubinobservatory.org. One resource is an online game called Space Surveyors, in which users simulate the process of scanning the night sky to collect data. Beware of clouds, satellites, and airplanes that can prevent surveying the targeted objects! Share scores on social media by tagging Rubin Observatory or using the hashtag #SpaceSurveyors! Other available resources are a slideshow and a short animated video that explains what survey telescopes are and what makes Rubin unique.

Contacts

Ardis Herrold
Senior Education Specialist
Rubin Observatory
Email: ardis.herrold@noirlab.edu