The Vera C. Rubin Observatory begins filming "Legacy Survey of Space and Time." Starring: our Universe!
After years of preparation, a new era of astronomy and astrophysics is beginning. Over the next decade, the Rubin Observatory in Chile will capture images of the Universe with unprecedented resolution, as seen from the southern hemisphere.
The initiative involves a Polish consortium led by the National Centre for Nuclear Research (NCBJ). Its other members are:
Center for Theoretical Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences
Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center, Polish Academy of Sciences (CAMK PAN)
Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań
Jagiellonian University
Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń
University of Warsaw
University of Wrocław
CAMK PAN is represented in the LSST consortium by Prof. Agata Różańska and Dr Tomasz Kamiński.
The Polish consortium's contribution to the LSST project includes the Independent Data Access Center (IDAC), currently under development, as well as software for data analysis.
"The Polish consortium comprises more than 70 scientists specializing in astronomy, astrophysics, cosmology, planetary science, computer science, and data analysis. This groundbreaking undertaking requires interdisciplinary collaboration and new analytical methods capable of handling the enormous volume of scientific data generated every night. Both the duration and precision of LSST observations will allow us to capture extremely rare phenomena, leading to numerous discoveries — including ones that cannot yet be foreseen," says Prof. Agnieszka Pollo, chair of the Polish LSST consortium.
The unprecedented level of detail LSST will achieve across the southern sky, combined with its time component, will give scientists across nearly every field of astronomy and astrophysics the opportunity to deepen our understanding of phenomena throughout the Universe. The project's data will open a path to further discoveries for researchers and the public alike. It will be a new way of exploring the Universe and uncovering its mysteries.
This 1.7-gigapixel image of a star field in the constellation Lupus offers an unprecedented view of the Universe, made possible by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory. Credit: NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory/NOIRLab/SLAC/AURA
