Coming Soon: Exploding Stars and Far-Away Galaxies

A new data-gathering project at a Chilean observatory will provide reams of new data for scientists around the globe

Duke physicist Arun Kannawadi at the Rubin Observatory in Chile
Duke physicist Arun Kannawadi at the Rubin Observatory in Chile

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A new data-gathering project at a Chilean observatory has Duke physicists bracing for an unprecedented avalanche of information illuminating the far reaches of the universe.

The NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory has officially begun the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), which over 10 years is expected to create the broadest time-lapse look at the universe ever.

The Rubin's 8.4-meter Simonyi Survey Telescope and the world’s largest digital camera will examine the southern sky and compare images taken over a decade to see how the universe changes. Scientists expect new insights into galaxies, exploding stars, the nature of dark matter and more.

Rubin is expected to image roughly 20 billion galaxies and 17 billion stars over the course of its survey while generating tens of terabytes of data every night. The data will be used by researchers around the world.

Chris Walter, a Duke professor of physics, has been involved with the Rubin telescope since 2013, helping to build and test it and analyze its performance.

Walter’s research group develops methods for calibrating the observatory’s measurements and analyzing the enormous datasets Rubin will produce.

“It’s a great day, and now the next steps begin,” Walter said. “As the data from the telescope flows in, scientists from around the world and here at Duke will analyze it to understand the nature of our universe.”  

The project will be a scholarly boon to many, including those physicists with the Duke Cosmology Group. Arun Kannawadi, an assistant research professor of physics, focuses on ensuring that astronomers can process information from the telescope’s massive amount of data. 

“This moment is marking a new era in astronomy, not just in terms of the data volume and quality that LSST ushers in, but also how research in astronomy gets done,” Kannawadi said.

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