Rubin Digest 01 October 2024

3 October 2024

Project and Science News

The seventh in a series of Rubin science releases showcasing Rubin’s upcoming contributions to various areas of astronomy and astrophysics is now available. Read (in English or Spanish) and share “Rubin Observatory’s Unparalleled Vision Will Revolutionize Multi-Messenger Astronomy,” on rubinobservatory.org

A successful LSST@Europe6 meeting took place on the island of La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain, from September 16-20. A notable number of early-career scientists participated in the meeting, a good indicator that Rubin is generating excitement and will have a tremendous impact on the next decade of scientific research. A particular focus of discussions was on synergies between Rubin and other projects such as ESA’s Euclid, as well as with In-kind contribution teams based in Europe and globally. A group photo from the meeting is available in the Gallery.

Rubin Observatory has updated the statement regarding increased deployment of satellite constellations at this link. 

In early September the summit team and contractors lifted the backing structure for the in-dome calibration screen through the dome shutters, and placed it inside on the 8th level access platform. The backing structure approximately 10 meters (33 feet) in diameter and has a net weight of about 4 tons. The team worked the next day to configure hoists on the upper dome structure and to raise the structure into its final position, supporting it securely from pivoting bearings on a steel structure that had been previously installed (photos here). Personnel from Mill Montajes Llanquitruf (mechanical assembly), Simaq (mobile crane), and Oscar Rivera (surveyor) were integral to this activity. Following final structural adjustments, now in progress, the team will begin carefully and precisely installing the 24 highly reflective and very flat panels that form the screen itself. In use, the screen will be tilted on its bearings to directly face the optical access of the telescope and will be illuminated by laser and white light sources to provide uniform flat fields for nightly calibration of the optics and the detectors of the LSST Camera. 

Want to see some very clean telescope mirrors? This video, recently posted on Rubin’s social media accounts, features clips of both the Secondary Mirror (M2) and the Primary/Tertiary Mirror (M1M3) being sprayed with CO2 “snow.” The liquid CO2 pushes dust and debris off the delicate mirror surface and evaporates without leaving any residue. In the video, the M2 is being cleaned on the telescope mount a few weeks after its installation in early August. The M1M3 was cleaned on the summit facility’s maintenance floor last week and is scheduled to be installed on the telescope in the coming days. 

Operations Updates

If you plan to work with Rubin Data in the future, we encourage you to sign up for an account on the Rubin Science Platform now. This will allow you to get familiar with the interface, work out any issues, and get your data rights verified by the project so you can be sure to get data immediately when Data Preview 1 (DP1) is released. Rubin Data Rights holders can sign up for an account any time by following the instructions here. 

LSST Discovery Alliance News

October 15th is the deadline for the call for proposals for the sixth cohort of the LINCC Frameworks Incubator program. The application form can be found here.

Personnel Announcements & Opportunities:

Open positions with Rubin are listed on the Rubin hiring page.

Info for Project Members:

Nominate someone deserving for a future staff award on the Staff Awards page on the Project website (login required).

If you’d like to schedule a one-on-one meeting with Victor or Zeljko, please fill out this form to indicate your preferred date and time. 

The link to Rubin’s anonymous “suggestion box” will be changing soon, until a new link is announced please contact our Workplace Culture Advocates (login required) with your suggestions. 

Rubin Observatory swag items, including t-shirts, coffee mugs, tote bags, and more, are available for purchase in our not-for-profit online store. 

Upcoming Meetings with Rubin Observatory Involvement

(those with an asterisk* are supported by LSST Discovery Alliance): 

2024

November 6-8	AURA Management Council for Rubin Observatory (AMCR) Meeting, La Serena, Chile
November 10-14	Astronomical Data Analysis Software & Systems (ADASS), Malta
November 11-15	XIX Chilean Astronomical Society (SOCHIAS) Annual Meeting, Arica, Chile

2025

January 12-16

American Astronomical Society (AAS 247) Winter Meeting, National Harbor, MD