HYBRID – General Meeting – July 2025

Title: Beyond the First Look at The NSF-DOE Vera Rubin Observatory

The NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory recently released a first look at a sampling of data products, and now is preparing to begin a ten-year survey of the southern skies. The Legacy Survey of Space and Time will produce unprecedented amounts of data for many different types of science.

Using the largest camera ever built, Rubin will repeatedly scan the sky from its location in Chilé and create an ultra-wide, ultra-high-definition, time-lapse record of our Universe. This will yield a treasure trove of discoveries: asteroids and comets, pulsating stars, and supernova explosions, as well as an immense amount of previously-undetected stars and galaxies.

With Rubin data we will come to understand our Universe better, chronicle its evolution, delve into the mysteries of dark energy and dark matter, and reveal answers to questions we have yet to imagine. Ardis Herrold’s presentation will offer information on the telescope, its science, and the ways everyone can explore the Rubin data itself. Learn what is happening right now, during commissioning (between first photons and the start of the survey), as well as how educators and citizen scientist projects

Biography:  Ardis Herrold

Ardis Herrold is the Senior Education Specialist for the NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory. Formerly a high school teacher, Ardis was hired to design and lead the education program for Rubin. In this role, she works on designing and testing data-based classroom investigations, and provides teacher training and support. Ardis is an amateur astronomer and has been a member of TAAA since 2017.

Image credit Hernan Stockebrand.

Caption: Rubin Observatory stands on Cerro Pachón in Chile against a sky full of star trails in this long exposure night sky image.