Inside the Vera C. Rubin Observatory's Quest To Map The Universe

By John Oncea, Editor

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile will revolutionize astronomy with its massive digital camera, real-time data, and a decade-long sky survey, hunting Planet 9.

In 1898, Moritz Behrend and his three sons, Ernst, Otto, and Bernard, formed the Hammermill Paper Company along the shores of Lake Erie, in Erie, PA. The company thrived, becoming one of Erie’s largest employers before being purchased by International Paper Company, which ran the Erie plant until its closing in 2002.

In 1948, Ernst’s widow, Mary, donated the family’s country estate – Glenhill farmhouse — and the 400 acres surrounding it to Penn State College (now University) in memory of her late husband. According to the Behrend Blog, Mary spoke at the dedication of what was then known as the Behrend Center on October 30, 1948, saying, “Looking back over the years, I know I was able to make two important and very right decisions. The first was in 1907 when I consented to marry Ernst Behrend. The second decision … was to make this outright gift to the Pennsylvania State College of Glenhill Farm as a memorial to my husband.”

Now known as Penn State Behrend, the campus includes the Yahn Planetarium, part of the School of Science complex. It’s here that stargazers of all ages learn about the universe and worlds beyond our reach in a planetarium that continues the legacy of the Erie Planetarium, which served the Erie community for more than fifty years.

Behrend is also home to the Mehalso Observatory that features a Meade 16-inch telescope equipped with computer control and a CCD camera in a 14-foot diameter Ash dome. A second dome houses a Meade 12-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope, and both instruments provide opportunities for classroom use, viewing by the public in Behrend’s popular Open House Nights in Astronomy, and undergraduate research for science students.

The telescopes are considered advanced amateur telescopes due to their Advanced Coma-Free (ACF) optics, computerized GoTo systems, and high-precision mounts. The 16-inch models, with their larger aperture, offer even greater light-gathering capability for deeper space viewing and astrophotography.

Nice, but neither is going to help researchers find Planet 9, a hypothetical, massive ice giant of a planet that may be traveling through the outer solar system so far away it would only appear as a faint object in a huge stretch of sky. Now, according to ShortWave, a new astronomical facility on a mountaintop in Chile is beginning a 10-year mission of taking images of almost the entire southern sky in an attempt to find the elusive planet.

A New Era In Sky Surveys

Perched atop Cerro Pachón in northern Chile, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory is poised to become one of the most transformative astronomical facilities of the 21st century. As it prepares for its first scientific observations in 2025, the observatory stands out not only for its technological prowess but also for its ambitious mission: to create the most comprehensive, dynamic map of the southern sky ever attempted.

The Rubin Observatory is unlike any previously built astronomical facility. Its centerpiece is the Simonyi Survey Telescope, an 8-meter-class instrument paired with the world's largest digital camera – a 3,200-megapixel behemoth roughly the size of a small car. This camera, recently installed and now entering the final testing phase, will enable the observatory to scan vast swaths of the sky with unprecedented speed and detail. Every three nights, the Rubin Observatory will produce a new, ultra-high-definition map of the entire visible southern sky, capturing a time-lapse record of the universe’s ever-changing landscape, MIT Technology Review writes.

Unlike traditional telescopes, which typically focus on specific celestial objects or narrow regions of the sky, the Rubin Observatory is designed for continuous, wide-field monitoring. Its automated operations allow it to reposition every 36 seconds, efficiently covering the sky and maximizing scientific return. Each night, the observatory will generate around 20 terabytes of data – enough to fill dozens of hard drives – and issue up to 10 million alerts about changes in the sky, from the appearance of new asteroids to the explosive deaths of stars.

Real-Time Data And Automated Discovery

One of the Rubin Observatory’s most groundbreaking features is its real-time data analysis capability. As images are captured, they are immediately processed by a global network of computer systems. These systems compare new observations with archival data, automatically flagging anomalies such as moving objects, sudden changes in brightness, or the emergence of transient phenomena. Within 60 seconds of detecting a change, the observatory can issue alerts to astronomers worldwide, enabling rapid follow-up with other telescopes, the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy writes.

This automated, data-driven approach marks a change in thinking in astronomy. Rather than focusing on a handful of targets, researchers will mine a continuous stream of alerts and archival data, searching for patterns and rare events that might otherwise go unnoticed. This capability is expected to revolutionize the study of everything from near-Earth asteroids and comets to distant supernovae and the structure of the universe itself.

The Hunt For Planet 9

Among the most tantalizing scientific goals of the Rubin Observatory is the search for the elusive Planet 9. For years, some astronomers have hypothesized the existence of a massive, distant planet lurking beyond Neptune, whose gravitational influence could explain the peculiar orbits of certain trans-Neptunian objects, ShortWave writes. Despite extensive searches, Planet 9 has remained undetected-until now.

With its combination of a large aperture, wide field of view, and sensitive camera, the Rubin Observatory represents the best hope yet for finding Planet 9, if it exists. The observatory will scan nearly the entire southern sky nightly, capturing images deep enough to detect even faint, distant objects. As Bob Blum, the observatory’s director of operations, explains, “The telescope is quite large, enabling it to detect very faint objects … If [Planet 9] exists, we should be able to find it without too much difficulty.”

Scott Sheppard, one of the leading proponents of Planet 9, estimates that the observatory has a 70 to 80 percent chance of discovering the planet within the next few years, although uncertainties about its size, brightness, and distance remain. Even if Planet 9 itself is not directly observed, the Rubin Observatory could identify smaller objects whose orbits betray the presence of a massive, unseen companion, providing indirect evidence for its existence.

A Legacy Of Innovation And Inclusion

The story of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory stretches back nearly three decades. The concept was first proposed in 1996 by physicist Tony Tyson, who envisioned combining advances in digital imaging with a powerful survey telescope to create a new kind of astronomical facility, according to the U.S. National Science Foundation. Over the years, the project evolved into a joint initiative of the U.S. National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy, with additional support from international partners.

The observatory is named in honor of Vera Rubin, a pioneering astronomer whose work provided the first convincing evidence for the existence of dark matter, a mysterious substance that makes up most of the universe’s mass but cannot be seen directly, according to Britannica. Rubin’s legacy is reflected not only in the observatory’s scientific mission but also in its status as the first U.S. national observatory named after a woman, marking a milestone for diversity and inclusion in the field.

Transforming Our Understanding Of The Universe

The scientific potential of the Rubin Observatory is staggering. Over its 10-year Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), the facility will:

• Catalog billions of new celestial objects, from asteroids and comets in our solar system to distant galaxies and quasars.
• Map the structure and evolution of the Milky Way, tracing the remnants of ancient galaxies that merged with our own.
• Detect and characterize millions of supernovae and other transient events, helping to measure the expansion rate of the universe and probe the nature of dark energy.
• Dramatically increase the known population of near-Earth objects, providing critical data for planetary defense and the study of solar system origins.

By capturing the sky in unprecedented detail and making its data freely available to the global scientific community, the Rubin Observatory will democratize discovery and empower a new generation of astronomers. As Allan Rubin, son of Vera Rubin, told the U.S. National Science Foundation, “Most of what there is to know about the universe is still not known … Vera believed there is always more to be discovered.”

Looking Ahead: First Light And Beyond

With the installation of its record-breaking camera now complete, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory is entering its final phase of commissioning. Engineering and science “first light,” the first images captured by the fully integrated system, are expected later in 2025, with full survey operations commencing in the second half of the year. As the observatory begins its decade-long mission, astronomers are bracing for a flood of discoveries that could reshape our understanding of the cosmos.

Whether it’s uncovering the secrets of dark matter and dark energy, mapping the intricate web of galaxies, or finally revealing the existence of Planet 9, the Rubin Observatory stands at the forefront of a new era in astronomy. Each discovery made by this remarkable facility will not only illuminate the mysteries of our universe but also inspire future generations to look up and ask, “What else is out there?”