Rubin and the Rift

The Great Rift appears to split the Milky Way above NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, a Program of NSF NOIRLab, on Cerro Pachón in this Image of the Week. This prominent dark region is a series of cold dust clouds full of active star formation. However, these clouds are so dense that they block light from the stars behind them and create the ‘rift’. 

Rubin Observatory, jointly funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), will begin science operations in late 2025. When complete, Rubin Observatory will use its 8.4-meter mirror and the largest camera ever built for astronomy to begin an ambitious decade-long survey known as the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). Every 3–4 nights the telescope will image the entire southern sky to build a wealth of data with which to answer some of the most challenging questions about our Universe. One science goal of Rubin Observatory is to detect rapidly occurring phenomena known as transients. Characterized by their swift change in brightness or position, common types of transients include supernovae, variable stars, and asteroids. The study of transients is an important area of research because they can provide insights into processes that shape the Universe, and frequent data collection, as Rubin Observatory will do, will develop the next era of astronomy in ways we can’t predict.

Rubin Observatory is a Program of NSF NOIRLab, which, along with SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, will jointly operate Rubin.

This photo was taken by Hernán Stockebrand, NOIRLab Audiovisual Ambassador.