Chile to install world's largest astronomy camera on the edge of Atacama desert
With a resolution exceeding 3.2 gigapixels and a weight nearing three tons, the largest digital camera ever built for optical astronomy is set to embark on a groundbreaking decade-long exploration in the pristine skies of northern Chile.
The components needed to construct the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, which includes a ground-based telescope and the camera, were transported in multiple vehicles to the summit of Cerro Pachón in the Coquimbo region, bordering the Atacama Desert, approximately 565 kilometers north of Santiago.
"Everything required for operations is now at the summit and ready for testing, with the hope of installation later this year," stated Stuartt Corder, chief science officer of the AURA association and deputy director of the NOIRLab center, which will manage the observatory.
According to its website, the Rubin Observatory is an intricate system comprising an eight-meter wide-field ground-based telescope, the camera, and an automated data processing system.
It will produce about 20 terabytes of data each night, with its ten-year mission expected to generate a catalog database of 15 petabytes.
The exploration aims to unravel the mysteries of dark energy and dark matter in the universe, of which little is known, and to study potential Earth-asteroid collisions, as well as stars and planets near the sun.
"This is a truly inspiring moment," Corder said. "We're at the brink of starting a campaign that, over the next ten years, we hope will answer questions about the origin and evolution of the universe."
The findings might not drastically change our current knowledge but will refine our understanding of the cosmos, Corder added.
AURA, a consortium of 47 U.S. institutions and three international affiliates, manages astronomical observatories for the National Science Foundation and NASA, including the NOIRLab center.
Chile is a prime location for astronomical research, hosting significant global investments due to the clear skies of the Atacama Desert, the driest desert on earth.
