Host a Rubin First Look Watch Party

Join the global celebration of NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s First Look images

24 April 2025

The NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory and its partners are excited to soon be announcing the release of the first images. We have not yet determined the date of the First Look unveiling event with a public livestream (in English and Spanish), but expect it to be in June or July of this year.

During the First Look event, the comprehensive press release will be published, featuring a large set of ultra-high-definition images and videos showcasing Rubin’s extraordinary capabilities to the world for the first time. This will mark the beginning of a new era in astronomy, and we invite you to take part (sign up using this form).

NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory is jointly funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science (DOE/SC). Rubin Observatory is a joint Program of NSF NOIRLab and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), who will cooperatively operate Rubin.

Rubin First Look Watch Parties are expected to take place around the world at universities, planetariums, museums, libraries, cinemas, and more. To witness the reveal of the first Rubin images, Rubin First Look Watch Parties may stream the live unveiling event. A simultaneous live stream of the First Look Watch Party in Santiago, Chile will be available in Spanish. Local adaptations are encouraged and may include holding the event in the local language; inviting scientists, dignitaries, or media; and additional programming like planetarium shows, photo exhibitions, guided tours, star parties, hands-on activities, or talks. The sky's the limit!

Those who sign up to host a Watch Party will be sent a curated list of materials they can use to organize a viewing event at their venue. Material packages include interactive resources like a virtual tour of Cerro Pachón and a virtual 3D model of the observatory. They will also include state-of-the-art planetarium content, from fulldome images and videos to the new free planetarium show Messengers of Time and Space. A live domecast of the event is available for planetariums, hosted by the U.S. Space & Rocket Center’s INTUITIVE Planetarium. The Cosm-Rubin Digistar planetarium package is available for Digistar domes.

Watch Party venues will not need to download extra software to view the First Look content. Images and videos will be accessible on rubinobservatory.org, as well as partner websites.

Rubin Observatory will revolutionize how we explore the cosmos. Rubin will create the ultimate movie of the night sky using the largest camera ever built. This unique movie will bring the cosmos to life, yielding a treasure trove of discoveries: asteroids and comets, pulsating stars, and supernova explosions. With Rubin data, we will better understand the Universe, chronicle its evolution, delve into the mysteries of dark energy and dark matter, and reveal answers to questions we have yet to imagine. Sign up using this form to host a Rubin First Look Watch Party and join our global celebration.

Links

• Rubin First Look Watch Party website
• Watch Party Sign-up Form
• Rubin Observatory Media Kit
• Vera C. Rubin Observatory website
• Vera C. Rubin Observatory images
• More Rubin images
• Rubin videos
• Rubin multimedia resources

Contacts

Phoebe Dubisch
Rubin Watch Party Coordinator
NSF NOIRLab
Email: rubinparty@noirlab.edu 

Josie Fenske
Jr. Public Information Officer
NSF NOIRLab
Email: josie.fenske@noirlab.edu

Gaëlle Shifrin-Suter
Rubin First Look Coordinator
SLAC
Email: gsuter@slac.stanford.edu

Lars Lindberg Christensen
Head of Communications, Education & Engagement
NSF NOIRLab
Email: lars.christensen@noirlab.edu