After decades of planning, engineering, and construction, astronomers have reached a decisive moment in their quest to map the cosmos in unprecedented detail. The largest digital camera ever built has finally been installed on the Simonyi Survey Telescope at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, setting the stage for a revolutionary decade-long survey of the southern sky.
The 3,200-megapixel LSST Camera—weighing over 3,000 kilograms and roughly the size of a small car—was carefully mounted onto the telescope in early March, marking the completion of a critical phase in the observatory’s construction.
“The installation of the LSST Camera on the telescope is a triumph of science and engineering,” said Harriet Kung, Acting Director of the Department of Energy’s Office of Science. “We look forward to seeing the unprecedented images this camera will produce.”
When operational, each image from this massive camera will be so detailed it would require 400 ultra-high-definition TV screens to display. This remarkable capability will allow astronomers to detect faint, fast-moving, or rapidly changing objects across a vast swath of the night sky.
The installation represented a significant logistical challenge. After months of testing in a clean room at the observatory’s summit facility, teams used a vertical platform lift to move the delicate instrument to the telescope floor and then employed a custom lifting device to position it with millimeter precision.
“Mounting the LSST Camera onto the Simonyi Telescope was an effort requiring intense planning, teamwork across the entire observatory and millimeter-precision execution,” said Freddy Muñoz, Rubin Observatory Mechanical Group Lead. “Watching the LSST Camera take its place on the telescope is a proud moment for us all.”
The observatory, jointly funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, stands atop Cerro Pachón in Chile at an altitude ideally suited for astronomical observations. Its location in the southern hemisphere will give it access to some of the most scientifically valuable regions of the night sky, including the center of our Milky Way galaxy and our neighboring satellite galaxies, the Magellanic Clouds.
NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan emphasized the significance of this milestone: “This is the last major step in the construction of one of the most ambitious scientific facilities ever created. It’s a testament to the technical prowess and dedication of the entire NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory team — and the scientific community that has been striving to get to this point for over two decades.”
The camera’s journey to this moment began at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, where it was constructed using cutting-edge technology developed specifically for this project. After completion in April 2024, it was carefully transported to Chile in a meticulously planned operation.
“This is a pivotal moment for the teams from all around the world who collaborated to design and build the camera,” said Aaron Roodman, Director of the LSST Camera and Deputy Director of Rubin Construction from SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. “We will achieve a level of clarity and depth never seen before in images covering the entire southern hemisphere sky.”
What makes the Rubin Observatory particularly special is its planned survey strategy. Rather than focusing on individual celestial objects for extended periods, as many observatories do, Rubin will repeatedly scan the entire visible southern sky approximately every three nights for ten years. This approach will create what astronomers describe as a “cosmic movie”—an ultra-high-definition time-lapse of the changing universe.
This comprehensive dataset is expected to revolutionize multiple fields of astronomy. It will help identify and track potentially hazardous asteroids, reveal distant supernovae as they explode, map the structure of our Milky Way galaxy, and provide crucial insights into the mysterious dark matter and dark energy that dominate the cosmos.
Safety was paramount during the installation process, as Sandra Romero, Head of Safety for Rubin Observatory, explained: “Ensuring the safety of our team during this installation was our highest priority. This complex operation was executed with careful planning and adherence to safety protocols, demonstrating the professionalism and commitment of the entire international Rubin team.”
The observatory is named after Vera Rubin, an American astronomer whose work provided convincing evidence for the existence of dark matter—one of the mysteries the telescope bearing her name aims to investigate further.
In the coming weeks, engineers will connect and test the camera’s utilities and systems, leading up to a highly anticipated “First Look” event when the first images from the completed observatory will be shared with the world. Full scientific operations are expected to begin in mid-2025.
LSST Camera Project Manager from SLAC, Travis Lange, reflected on the achievement: “It has been a treat to watch the biggest camera the world has ever seen being built by such a talented group of people with such a wide range of backgrounds. It’s a wonderful example of what teams of scientists and engineers can accomplish when they are called upon to do what has never been done before.”
As the ten-year Legacy Survey of Space and Time commences next year, the data collected will be made available to researchers worldwide, enabling discoveries that could transform our understanding of the universe—and perhaps even reveal phenomena no one has yet imagined.
If our reporting has informed or inspired you, please consider making a donation. Every contribution, no matter the size, empowers us to continue delivering accurate, engaging, and trustworthy science and medical news. Independent journalism requires time, effort, and resources—your support ensures we can keep uncovering the stories that matter most to you.
Join us in making knowledge accessible and impactful. Thank you for standing with us!