From mining⛏️, to construction🦺, to leading observatory safety operations👷‍♀️ Meet Sandra Romero, NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory's Safety Lead. 🔭 Her job? Keeping Rubin safe for everyone who works here, from construction activities to science operations✨ 🎥 Meet Sandra: https://youtu.be/3gJMxs2nFnQ

To celebrate the approaching end of NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory's construction period, we're reminiscing through the eyes of some of our talented staff. Join us for the #RubinConstructionArchives series, every Tuesday and Thursday on Youtube through November! 🔭 🧪 youtube.com/RubinObservatory

Are you more of a spring🌺 or winter❄️ palette? 🎨 Today is the September #equinox, the first day of spring in the Southern hemisphere. That means we’re swapping the cool, crisp tones of snow and winter for the fresh, warm hues of spring just around the corner.💐 🔭 🧪

Ok, well now you're just showing off. ...we're not mad about it though. This spectacular nightscape of NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory in Chile features the striking band of the Milky Way and its companions.🔭 🧪

Bringing a whole new meaning to "remote work" 👩‍💻🔭 🧪 NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory sits stop Cerro Pachón in Chile, but we have remote observing locations in Chile and the US! Read about how the control room at SLAC will help enable Rubin to #CaptureTheCosmos: rubinobservatory.org/news/slac-co...

¡Felices Fiestas Patrias! 🇨🇱🎉 Today is Chile's Independence Day! We wish all of our colleagues and neighbors a joyful and safe #Dieciocho 💃 🔭

Eat, sleep, slew ✨🔭 In astronomy, slewing is when a telescope rotates to a different patch of the sky. NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory's telescope mount is balanced and rigid, reducing vibrations and allowing the LSST Camera to be ready for its next image in only 5 seconds. 🔭🧪

What areas of science are YOU looking forward to exploring with NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory? 🔭🧪 Tune in to Cosmic Clips to get the scoop on what research is in the works with Rubin! 🎬 🎥: NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory/J. Pinto

Come to the dark side... 😼 We're looking at dark nebulae in the #RubinFirstLook image of the Trifid & Lagoon Nebulae. Dark nebulae are clouds of gas and dust that are so dense they block visible light. This makes them appear black against their colorful, cloudy background. ☁️🔭🧪

With SkySynth, the #RubinFirstLook images are ear-resistable 👂✨ SkySynth transforms the Virgo Cluster into a sparkling symphony of science! 🔭 🧪 Instead of conveying data visually, a sonification like SkySynth translates data into sound. Listen now: skyviewer.app/skysynth

How's the weather up there? ☀️🌤️ Pretty mild, actually! That's what makes Cerro Pachón in Chile a great spot for NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory. It has stable temperatures, dry air, and few rainy days, which means more time for observing the cosmos! 🔭🧪 More: rubinobservatory.org/about/rubin-...

The first citizen science project using NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory, Comet Catchers ☄️, has already passed 1.5 MILLION classifications on @zooniverse.bsky.social 🤯 Now that's what we call teamwork! Find Comet Catchers (and other Rubin projects as they go live) at zooniverse.org/rubin 🔭 🧪

Making waves in the cosmos, galaxy style 😎🌊 Shell galaxies preserve the memory of a cosmic splash, like ripples in a pond 🌌✨ These elliptical galaxies are surrounded by faint, layered arcs that form when a large galaxy absorbs a smaller one. 🔭 🧪

Beauty and grace, and signs of galactic drama in space 🌟 NGC 4261 might look like a calm elliptical galaxy at first. But in this image from NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory’s Cosmic Treasure Chest, faint features extend from the galaxy’s core as clues that it's interacting with its surroundings. 🔭 🧪

Rubin’s education research partners want your feedback on Skyviewer and Orbitviewer! Indicate your interest in joining a Zoom focus group between Sept. 3-6 👉 sprw.io/stt-huR01 Selected participants will receive $75 for their time. ✨ 🔭 🧪

The vastness of the desert around Cerro Pachón, home of NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory, reminds us of the vastness of space. ⛰️ During the 10-year LSST, Rubin will observe the entire visible sky repeatedly to create the most detailed time-lapse view of the cosmos ever generated. 🔭🧪

Imagine a galaxy the size of the Milky Way, but with just *one millionth* the number of stars...Faint. Diffuse. Practically invisible. 👻 These so-called "low surface brightness" galaxies are so diffuse that they're hard to spot even when you're looking right at them. 🔭🧪

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory (left) and its Auxiliary Telescope (right) are better together! 🤞😎 AuxTel repeatedly observes well-known stars. By measuring how the light of these stars changes as it passes through the atmosphere, scientists know how to color-correct Rubin images. 📷: W. O'Mullane

What. A. Week. 🤩 We spent last week with hundreds of #RubinTeam members in Tucson, AZ and virtually around the world diving into NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory data and science together! This was the first week-long workshop we've held since the first early data and images from Rubin in June. 🔭🧪

August 8 is Global Sleep Under the Stars Night 😴 For Rubin scientists on Cerro Pachón, almost every night is spent under the stars! Rubin's sky is incredible because it has: 🌃 Little light pollution ⛰️ Less atmosphere 💦 Low humidity Good luck trying to sleep with this view! ✨🔭🧪 📷: H. Stockebrand

We're going to need some more hot beverages 🥶☕️ Cerro Pachón got its third winter storm of the season this past weekend, getting ~30cm of snow! 😱 Many thanks to our hard-working crews for getting the roads safe and clear! 🔭🧪 📷: NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory

Not all galaxies wander space alone...and sometimes they're too close for comfort 😔 Galaxies can interact, collide, and merge. By studying snapshots of these interactions, scientists can gain insight into how galaxies evolve over billions of years⏳ Hunt for more in Skyviewer: skyviewer.app 🔭🧪

☄️ Say hello to Comet 3I/ATLAS, just the third interstellar object ever seen in our Solar System! NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory didn’t discover the comet, but even during testing, it caught a glimpse. Imagine what we'll find once full science operations begin later this year! 🔭🧪

Going stir crazy and need a screen-free activity? Introducing the NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory coloring book! 🎨🌌 No screens, and no assembly required (unless you count crayons). Print one page or the whole book, and get coloring! 🖍️ 🔗: ls.st/coloring-book 🔭🧪

Ready for a week of science and collaboration!🤓 This week, hundreds of #RubinTeam members are gathering in Tucson, AZ and virtually for the 2025 Rubin Community Workshop. #Rubin2025 🔭🧪 We're excited for 5 days of diving into data, tools, and science discoveries together! 💫

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory's view of the Virgo Cluster is full of galaxy clusters: collections of gravitationally-bound galaxies ✨ They can be identified as similarly colored smudges concentrated together. Here, we can see three different clusters at different distances. #RubinFirstLook 🔭🧪

Happy birthday, Vera Rubin! 🥳✨ What better way to celebrate than with NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory's view of galaxies SHE studied? NGC 4343, 4526, 4535, and 4378 are just a few gems from our Cosmic Treasure Chest. Explore them and more at skyviewer.app 🔭🧪

It's like the holidays in July...our first week-long workshop after the first NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory image reveal! 🎁 We're one week out from the Rubin Community Workshop in Tucson, and we can't wait for five days of rich discussions & observatory updates! #Rubin2025 🔭🧪

Ever been to a party so good you couldn’t stop talking about it? Same here 🥳 #RubinFirstLook was unforgettable, and made even more incredible thanks to 360+ Watch Parties around the world celebrating with us on June 23! 🔭🧪 Enjoy this trip down memory lane with us 🤩

Oh, bee-have! 🐝 The Little Beehive Cluster 🐝 (also known as Messier 41) is a dazzling open star cluster about 2300 light-years away. It's made of about 100 stars born from the same cloud of gas. 🌫️ This stunning nightscape captures NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory and M41 together ✨🔭🧪

Rubin's thousands of newly-discovered asteroids....now in your web browser! Introducing NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory's 3D Orbitviewer ☄️🪐 Follow along as Rubin discovers millions more asteroids in our Solar System in the coming years at orbitviewer.app 🔭🧪

Our favorite kinds of fireworks are the cosmic kind 🌟🎆 Our #RubinFirstLook image of the Trifid and Lagoon Nebulae has plenty of cosmic fireworks to explore! Let the bright, young stars in these clusters add some sparkle to your #FourthOfJuly holiday ✨🔭🧪 📷: NSF–DOE Rubin Obs.

#WallpaperWednesday: #RubinFirstLook edition 🤩 Need a new phone background? Loved the first images from NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory? We've got you! Save one of these to use, set it, and enjoy the cosmos captured by Rubin every time you use your phone 🌌🔭🧪

Spot the difference 🧐 NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory's First Look images from last week didn't just include millions of galaxies and stars....but also thousands of asteroids! 🔭🧪 Seven of those were near-Earth asteroids never seen before, but don't worry— none of them pose a threat to Earth.

Think you can spot a comet? ☄️ Try your eye with the *very first* citizen science project on @zooniverse.bsky.social that uses data from NSF-DOE Rubin Observatory, Comet Catchers! 🔭🧪 We can't think of a more fitting project for #AsteroidDay 🤩 ☄️ cometcatchers.net ☄️

Did someone say #NationalCameraDay? 📷 We wanted to celebrate ours by creating a giant 3200-megapixel group photo inspired by our LSST Camera...and here it is, featuring many of YOU! Grab this epic group photo at rubinobservatory.org/gallery 🔭🧪

Who was Vera C. Rubin? 💫 Vera Rubin is the namesake of NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory, but how much do you know about her? 🔭🧪

Experience NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory’s Cosmic Treasure Chest with sound!🎶 Just as an image conveys data visually, sonification conveys data with sound. No two people will explore Rubin’s images the same, & no two listening experiences will be the same. 🔭🧪 skyviewer.app/skysynth

Yesterday we released our cosmic treasure chest...and now it's yours to explore! With ✨~10 million galaxies✨ in the image, there's plenty to find. Pan, zoom, and hunt for gems in this treasure chest using Skyviewer - and be sure to share your favorites with us! 🔭🧪 ➡️ skyviewer.app/explorer

Whew, what a day! Today we revealed the preview of NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory's epic cosmic movie🎬 #RubinFirstLook From wide-field and deep views of the Universe, to the dynamic and changing sky, Rubin is already bringing the night sky to life! 🔭🧪 rubinobservatory.org/news/first-i...

Want to download everything from today? Whether you want a new desktop background or an image to send to friends and family, we've got you covered! Head to rubinobservatory.org/gallery/collections/first-look-gallery and take your pick 🌌🔭🧪 (...or just download everything, no need to choose!)

Want to see NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory's Cosmic Treasure Chest for yourself? Explore using Rubin's Skyviewer! There are billions of pixels to explore, and you might be the the first to lay eyes on a small, distant galaxy! #RubinFirstLook #CaptureTheCosmos skyviewer.app

A new view of two old friends 🤩 Feast your eyes upon NSF–DOE Rubin's view of the Trifid & Lagoon Nebulae! This image shows what makes Rubin unique: its wide field of view, & speed that allows it to take lots of big images quickly. 🔭🧪 rubinobservatory.org/news/rubin-first-look/trifid-lagoon

🛷Feel the rhythm, feel the rhyme, stellar heartbeats, right on time! 🌟 Meet NSF–DOE Rubin's Rhythm in the Stars: the pulsating changes in brightness from RR Lyrae variable that are key for understanding our galaxy's structure. 🔭🧪 youtu.be/eS6FXc350Bs

Meet your new cosmic neighbors ☄️ Introducing a swarm of over 2100 new asteroids discovered by NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory! Rubin discovered these asteroids in about 10.5 hours of observing across 7 nights. They've never been seen by humanity before...until now.🔭🧪 youtu.be/DTuq-vBsDJE

Here it is: the first set of riches from Rubin's Cosmic Treasure Chest! Introducing NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory's first wide and deep view of the cosmos, the southern region of the Virgo Cluster. Rubin produced this image in just 10.5 hours over parts of 7 nights! 🔭🧪 youtu.be/Gitit3LwQ20

Today's the day — it's officially T-0! GET READY: Your full First Look at images from NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory is just hours away! We're about to reveal the preview of the greatest cosmic movie ever made 🎬 #RubinFirstLook #CaptureTheCosmos 🔭🧪 ⌚️ 11am US EDT 🔗: ls.st/rubin-first-look-livestream

Introducing...your sneak peek at the cosmos captured by NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory! Can you guess these regions of sky? This is just a small peek...join us at 11am US EDT for your full First Look at how Rubin will #CaptureTheCosmos! 🔭🧪 #RubinFirstLook ls.st/rubin-first-look-livestream

If there's one thing you should know about NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory, it's this: ✨It's going to build the greatest time-lapse movie of the cosmos ever made✨ And tomorrow is the world's first preview of how Rubin will #CaptureTheCosmos in the coming decade! 🔭🧪

‼️We're just TWO DAYS from Rubin's first images! #RubinFirstLook‼️ So let's talk images📷 NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory's LSST Camera — the largest digital camera ever built — produces 3200-megapixel images... 🔭🧪 But what does that mean, exactly? 🤨 📷: J. Orrell/SLAC Lab