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15 March 2023: Project & Science News This year’s Rubin Project and Community Workshop (PCW), the first PCW facilitated by the Rubin Operations team, will take place the week of August 7-11, 2023, at the Marriott University Park in Tucson, AZ. We hope to make some sessions (plenaries and general-interest sessions) virtually accessible for those who cannot attend in person. This year we will be accepting applications to request childcare funding, made possible by the LSST Corporation and the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, and generously sponsored by the Heising-Simons Foundation. Further details about the meeting and childcare funding will be available once the meeting website is live and registration opens. Over the last few months, the observing team on the summit has been exercising the Telescope Mount Assembly (TMA) extensively and has taken thousands of images with two StarTracker cameras, mounted on the outside of the top ring of the TMA. These images are ...

7 March 2023: Project & Science News Remember to mark your calendars for the Rubin Observatory Project and Community Workshop, scheduled for August 7-11, 2023 in Tucson, AZ. More information will be available soon. On February 17th, Rubin Construction and NOIRLab partnered to host a celebration of random acts of kindness. For a few weeks leading up to the event, Rubin staff and project members were encouraged to contribute to paper "kindness chains" at Rubin and NOIRLab’s physical locations, adding links to recognize co-workers for acts of kindness. On the 17th, colleagues connected in person and online for a celebration of kindness, which included inspirational words and stories from members of Rubin and NOIRLab staff, and a prize raffle. A collage of event photos is available in the Gallery. The summit team recently conducted a “cart and rails” testing campaign at the summit facility. The cart used in the tests is the transport ...

7 February 2023: Project & Science News Save the date for the Rubin Observatory Project and Community Workshop! Rubin 2023 (also known as the PCW), is scheduled for August 7-11, 2023 in Tucson, AZ. We’ll share more information when it’s available. February is Black History Month, and we invite you to follow our social media channels for a campaign highlighting notable Black astronomers and astrophysicists. Watch for new posts all month long on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Random Acts of Kindness Day is coming up on February 17th! Leading up to that day, you can visit any NOIRLab site location to add links to a kindness chain, or post messages that recognize and celebrate our colleagues on the #rubin-be-kind Slack channel. Registration is now open for the Steve Kahn Symposium on March 3rd at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. The day-long event will celebrate Steve Kahn’s career at SLAC and his leadership in the ...

25 January 2023: Project & Science News Rubin Observatory was highly visible at the winter meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS241) in Seattle WA on January 8-12. In addition to numerous presentations and posters highlighting Rubin/LSST science, Rubin staff hosted a booth in the exhibit hall and a well-attended evening Town Hall at the meeting. More information and a link to event photos can be found in this recent news post. We invite you to admire the near-complete status of the Rubin Observatory dome cladding in a recent drone video. The outside of the dome now has weatherproof aluminum cladding covering all wall and roof surfaces as well as most of the operable louver panels. Inside the dome, the mechanisms and drive control for the large aperture shutters are being finished. The shutters, rear-access door, overhead cranes, lights and all other mechanized electrified elements on the rotating structure will soon be outfitted ...

13 December 2022: Project & Science News A holiday message from the Rubin Construction and Rubin Operations leadership teams: It has been a challenging and productive year for the Rubin Observatory team. We are thankful for having the opportunity to work on such an exciting project and to have such a dedicated and capable team moving us ahead toward one of the world’s most amazing observatories and this unique survey. We have especially enjoyed the interaction with our science community through multiple large meetings and numerous committee/collaboration meetings. We want to thank you, our community, for all your effort and support as we have emerged from the pandemic and make progress toward the finish. Looking to the new year, we will continue to keep you informed as plans are updated and we look forward to our continued interaction and your support. We invite you to view this year’s Rubin Observatory holiday card on ...

23 November 2022: Project & Science News On Cerro Pachón, the Commissioning team recently took preliminary data with the Star Tracker, which was installed on the Telescope Mount Assembly (TMA) in early November. During this engineering campaign, they achieved focus and a rough alignment characterization of both Star Tracker cameras. Next, they plan to add dome movement and TMA tracking along with further characterization tests like adjusting exposure levels to optimize the observing strategy. Once the TMA software testing is complete, the team will use this system to verify a number of scientific performance requirements of the TMA. Industrial Scaffolding and Work at Height Supervisor courses were held on the summit last week, facilitated by the INDAN Scaffolding Institute, a competence and certifying body. Both courses were passed by all seven participants, with marks above the minimum percentage required. The theoretical and practical content lasted 32 hours, completing four days of training. A ...

9 November 2022: Project & Science News In early November, the Rubin team installed an instrument called the StarTracker on the Telescope Mount Assembly (TMA). The StarTracker will be used to verify pointing requirements for the TMA on the summit, and was developed specifically for this purpose. Pointing requirements for the TMA were verified at Asturfeito in Spain, during Factory Acceptance Testing in 2018, using the factory floor as a stable and reliable reference. There isn't a solid floor beneath the TMA in the observatory, so the StarTracker will allow the Commissioning team to verify pointing requirements using star positions on the celestial sphere. A photo of the instrument, which employs a pair of small digital cameras and telephoto lenses, is available in the Gallery. Daylight saving time ended in the US on Sunday, November 6th. The Rubin project uses Pacific Time as a standard, which means that standing meetings have changed in ...

25 October 2022: Project & Science News On October 17th, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Congresswoman Anna Eshoo and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, visited SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory for a tour of the Linac Coherent Light Source and the Rubin Observatory LSST Camera. Photos from the visit are available on Flikr. Registration is open for the third Survey Cadence Optimization Committee (SCOC)-Science Collaborations Workshop, which will be held virtually November 2-3, 2022. Details and a link to register are available on the meeting website. The number of media stories about the almost-complete LSST Camera continues to increase. See this recent news item on our website, which includes an updated list of stories resulting from recent media visits to the camera clean room at SLAC. A review of the Rubin Observatory Summit power system was held October 17-19 on Cerro Pachón. The scope of the review was to assess the safety and ...

12 October 2022: Project & Science News Representatives from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the US Department of Energy (DOE) visited the Rubin construction site on Cerro Pachón on September 27th to view construction progress and interact with Rubin leadership and staff working on the summit. Photos from the visit are available in the Gallery. The summit safety team led a workshop for NOIRLab staff at the Rubin construction site on Cerro Pachón on September 28th (photo). The objective of the workshop was to provide a general on-site view of the development of the safety management system for the Rubin site, the challenges anticipated in the near future, and the transition to operations. It was also a great opportunity for NOIRLab staff to learn more about all the exciting work that is going on at Rubin. The Data Management team on Cerro Pachón recently enabled the transfer of data captured by the ...

27 September 2022: Project & Science News A quarterly meeting of the AURA Management Council for Rubin Observatory (AMCR) took place September 14-15 in Palo Alto, CA. A highlight of this productive meeting was a visit to the clean room at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, where the group admired the LSST Camera with all its major components now assembled. Rubin project members participated in a Joint Status Review (JSR) on September 20-23 in Tucson, AZ. The review committee commented favorably on the clarity and responsiveness of the Rubin team in their presentations and responses to committee questions. They also congratulated the Rubin Education and Public Outreach (EPO) team for their hard work and success in the construction phase (EPO will transition into operations in FY23). In response to encouraging trends in Chile, the Chilean government is relaxing the restrictions in its COVID-19 management plan, effective October 1st. The Rubin safety team and Rubin ...

6 September 2022: Project & Science News The Rubin Science Advisory Committee (SAC) held a meeting at the Project and Community Workshop, and has posted the minutes of the meeting, including a number of findings and recommendations for Rubin management. They include the SAC’s suggestions for the Rubin website and communications plan; discussion of the progress made by the Survey Cadence Optimization Committee and the work that lies ahead; clarifying the Observatory’s plans for Early Science operations; support for the Solar System science community before Rubin begins gathering data; and many other topics. At SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, the LSST Camera team recently celebrated a significant achievement: the integration of the L1L2 lens assembly with the Camera structure on August 18th, 2022. The time lapse video was picked up by CNET—it shows a group of SLAC engineers and technicians performing the delicate installation procedure in the LSST Clean Room. These two lenses, combined ...

16 August 2022: Project & Science News The Rubin 2022 Project and Community Workshop, held August 8-12 at the Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain resort in Tucson, AZ, was a successful and productive meeting. The first in-person PCW since 2019 also offered an option for people to participate virtually in plenaries and select breakout sessions. More details about the event are available in this recent news item. On August 9th, Rubin Observatory recognized the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People. We are privileged to be able to conduct research on Cerro Pachón in Chile, and we acknowledge the Indigenous communities in Chile as the natural protectors of that land. We further acknowledge that our headquarters in Tucson is on the ancestral and unceded lands of the O’odham and Yaqui people. The LSST Camera Pumped Coolant Final Design Review took place at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory on August 2-5. The main recommendation of the review ...

26 July 2022: Project & Science News A detailed agenda for the Rubin 2022 Project and Community Workshop (PCW) is now available on the meeting website. We look forward to seeing many of you August 8-12 in Tucson, AZ. Numerous Rubin Observatory staff members gave talks at last week’s SPIE conference in Montreal Canada, July 17-22. Alysha Shugart facilitated a well-received series of interactive Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion activities, and the Rubin communications team hosted a booth in the exhibit hall. A Rubin group photo taken at the booth is available in the Gallery, along with other photos from the meeting. A significant winter storm hit the summit on July 14th and 15th, dropping about 6 feet (1.8 meters) of snow in some places. Some non-Rubin personnel were safely evacuated from Cerro Pachón by helicopter, and road access to the summit was completely blocked for several days. A Rubin inspection team was able ...

12 July 2022: Project & Science News In-person registration has closed for the Rubin 2022 Project and Community Workshop (PCW) because we reached our safe capacity limit, but you can still register for virtual participation at this link. The workshop will be held August 8-12, at the Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain in Tucson, AZ. The Rubin kindness page has been updated with new information, resources, and ideas for contributing to a culture of kindness in our community. Rubin Observatory will host an exhibit booth at the upcoming SPIE conference in Montreal, Canada, July 17-22. If you’re attending the event, please stop by Booth #205 and say hello! The Data Management (DM) team held a DM Bootcamp on June 28-30. These bootcamps, updated and re-offered periodically, feature tutorials from experienced DM team members to help bring newer members of the team get up to speed quickly. DM Bootcamp 2022 was primarily virtual, with up to ...

29 June 2022: Project & Science News Rubin Observatory recently participated in the American Astronomical Society summer meeting (AAS#240) held June 12-16 in Pasadena, CA. Read more details about the event, which was the first in-person AAS meeting since January 2020, in this news item. Photos are also available in the Gallery. The final deadline to register for the Rubin 2022 Project and Community Workshop (PCW) is less than a month away (July 22nd) so please make sure to register soon. The workshop will be held August 8-12, at the Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain in Tucson, AZ. A number of US-based Rubin staff have recently visited the summit in person for the first time since early 2020. These visits have provided an opportunity for management to appreciate firsthand the significant progress made by the summit team, and to help plan for important upcoming work. Photos are available in the Gallery. Also of note on ...

14 June 2022: Project & Science News Reminder: June 20th is a US Federal holiday, and a holiday for Rubin (AURA) employees in the US. This holiday, Juneteenth, commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans and celebrates African-American culture. June is Pride Month, please join us in recognizing the contributions of our colleagues who identify as LGBTQIA+. We celebrate the diversity of the Rubin community and continue striving to create an inclusive and supportive space for everyone who wants to participate in Rubin science. Learn more about Rubin DEI initiatives on our website. Rubin Observatory is participating at the American Astronomy Society summer meeting (AAS#240) happening this week (June 12-16) in Pasadena, CA. Visit our exhibit at Booth #301 if you’re attending the meeting, and follow us on Rubin social media accounts including twitter, where we’ll provide updates about sessions featuring Rubin Observatory content. If you haven’t registered for the Rubin 2022 Project and ...

3 June 2022: Project & Science News Don’t forget to register for the Rubin 2022 Project and Community Workshop (PCW), August 8-12, at the Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain in Tucson, AZ. The deadline is July 22nd, but we encourage you to register before July 8th to reserve your Rubin 2022 t-shirt. Registration and additional details are available on the meeting website. A group of National Science Foundation (NSF) leadership and Program officers visited Rubin Construction headquarters, along with other Tucson-based NOIRLab facilities, on May 18-19. Highlights of the visit included a virtual tour of the summit from the Tucson Control Room; this tour will be repeated and recorded to share with the Rubin community in the coming weeks. Lauren Corlies, Head of Education and Public Outreach (EPO), gave a demonstration of EPO products in development. Melissa Graham, Community Engagement Team Lead, introduced the group to the Rubin Science Platform (a recorded version of this ...

19 May 2022: Project & Science News Registration is now open for the Rubin 2022 Project and Community Workshop (PCW) which will take place August 8-12 at the Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain Resort in Tucson, AZ. Please register by July 8th to ensure you reserve a t-shirt! The deadline to book a hotel is July 15th. Registration and additional details are available on the meeting website. At Rubin, we believe that promoting a culture of kindness will contribute to a positive reinforcement of happiness among our workforce, reinforce other aspects of our working culture, and lead to positive outcomes for both individuals and our organization. Read more about Rubin’s commitment to kindness at this new page on our website. A meeting of the AURA Management Council for Rubin Observatory (AMCR) was held in Tucson on May 3-5. This was the last meeting for Vice-Chair Liz Sexton-Kennedy (Fermilab) and Suzanne Hawley (University of Washington), who ...

3 May 2022: Project & Science News The team on Cerro Pachón ran a series of tests on the mirror washing station in March; they were working to define the washing and drying parameters that will be used to clean the Primary/Tertiary Mirror (M1M3). Read the details and see a video of the washing station in action in this recent news item. A time-lapse video of the recent integration of the cryostat with the camera body at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, reported in the April 19th issue of the News Digest, is available on the Rubin Observatory YouTube channel. May is Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage month—watch for a social media campaign highlighting Asian-American and Pacific Islander members of the Rubin Observatory community on Rubin social media accounts throughout the month. If you’re a member of the Rubin community and would like to be featured, submit your information by May 13th—instructions are in ...

20 April 2022: Project & Science News A new "Day in the Life of Rubin Observatory" video is now posted on YouTube. In January 2022, everyone working at Rubin was encouraged to submit a photo highlighting their work. The resulting montage video offers a view of the many different tasks that take place on any given day, as well as the broad range of people contributing to Rubin Observatory. This video is the seventh in our multi-year series. On April 8th, the Camera team at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory successfully attached the cryostat to the camera body in the IR2 clean room. The cryostat contains the camera's 201 sensors (each one 16 megapixels), and the 28" entrance lens (L3), with the ancillary electronics and vacuum systems installed on the outside. The camera body will ultimately provide support for the camera shutter, filter exchange system, and the two primary lenses (L1 and L2). The ...