Some Assembly Required

This image of the week features the Telescope Mount Assembly of the 8.4-meter Simonyi Survey Telescope at Vera C. Rubin Observatory, currently under construction atop Cerro Pachón in Chile. This image shows the telescope frame prior to the mounting of the Top-End Assembly, a 28-metric tonne (31-ton) steel structure which was installed last month. Once the telescope is completed, the Top-End Assembly will support the telescope’s secondary mirror and the Rubin Observatory LSST Camera — the largest digital camera ever constructed for astronomy.

The Simonyi Telescope will carry out the Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), a 10-year observing campaign that will address some of the most pressing questions about the structure and evolution of the Universe.