Localize site content
  • Contact Us
  • Jobs Board
  • Intranet
  • Visual Identity Guide
  • Privacy Policy

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science will support Rubin Observatory in its operations phase to carry out the Legacy Survey of Space and Time. They will also provide support for scientific research with the data. During operations, NSF funding is managed by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) under a cooperative agreement with NSF, and DOE funding is managed by SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), under contract by DOE. Rubin Observatory is operated by NSF NOIRLab and SLAC.

NSF is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 to promote the progress of science. NSF supports basic research and people to create knowledge that transforms the future.

The DOE Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time.

Funding agency logos
Homepage
  1. Explore
  2. How Rubin Works

How Rubin Works

Rubin Observatory will revolutionize the way we explore the cosmos. Using the largest camera ever built to repeatedly scan the sky for 10 years, Rubin will produce an ultra-wide, ultra-high-definition, time-lapse view of our Universe. Learn how Rubin works below!

Bringing the night sky to life

Over the next decade, Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) will capture the southern sky in extraordinary detail, building the most complete time-lapse of the cosmos ever created.

Learn more

Powered by innovative technology

Rubin Observatory is packed with innovative technology, from a one-of-a-kind combined primary/tertiary mirror to the largest camera ever built. Explore the technology that makes Rubin science possible.

Explore the technology

The Alert Stream

Rubin will detect millions of changes in the southern sky every night, and issue a world-public alert for each change within minutes, allowing scientists to quickly follow up.

Learn about the Alert Stream

Key Numbers

Primary mirror diameter
8.4
meters
Secondary mirror diameter
3.5
meters
Field of View
3.5º
(10 degrees2)
LSST Camera height
1.65
meters
LSST Camera length
3.65
meters
LSST Camera resolution
3200
Megapixels
Generated data volume
20TB
per night
Stars & galaxies detected
37billion
in total
Number of alerts
10million
per night
More key numbers

Related Content

    • About
    • History
    • Who was Vera Rubin?
    • Construction Updates
      • Rubin in Chile
      • Cerro Pachón
      • Observatory Site Selection
      • Organization
      • Leadership
      • Science Collaborations
      • Departments and Teams
    • Funding Information
      • Work With Us
      • Jobs Board
    • Explore
      • How Rubin Works
      • Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST)
      • Rubin Technology
      • Alert Stream
      • Rubin Numbers
    • Science Goals
      • Skyviewer ↗
      • Skysynth: The cosmos captured by Rubin, for your ears
    • Orbitviewer ↗
    • Rubin Voices
    • Get Involved in Rubin Research
      • Activities, Games, and More
      • Space Surveyors Game
      • Animated Video Series
      • Rubin's 3200-Megapixel Group Photo
    • Gallery
      • Main Gallery
      • First Look
      • Graphics & Illustrations
      • Outreach & Education
    • Slideshows
    • Construction Archive Gallery
    • Media Use Policy
    • News
    • Press Releases
      • Rubin Observatory First Look
      • The Cosmic Treasure Chest
      • A Swarm of New Asteroids
      • Rhythms in the Stars
      • Trifid and Lagoon Nebulae
      • Rubin First Look Watch Parties
    • Media Resources
    • Press Releases
    • Name Guidelines
    • For Scientists
      • News, events, and deadlines
      • Rubin Science Assemblies
      • Rubin Data Academy
      • Rubin Community Workshop
      • Resources for scientists
      • Rubin Community Forum
      • Early Science Program
      • Workshops and seminars
      • Tutorials
      • LSST Discovery Alliance
      • Code of Conduct
      • Public outreach materials
      • Survey, instruments, and telescopes
      • Key numbers
      • The Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST)
      • Instruments
      • Telescopes
      • Data products, pipelines, and services
      • Data access and analysis
      • Recent data releases
      • Alerts and brokers
      • Data processing pipelines
      • Future data products
      • Data Policy
      • Simulation software
      • Documentation and publications
      • Technical documentation
      • How to cite Rubin Observatory
      • Publication policies
      • Glossary & Acronyms
      • Papers citing Rubin Observatory
      • Science Collaborations
      • Galaxies Science Collaboration
      • Stars, Milky Way, and Local Volume Science Collaboration
      • Solar System Science Collaboration
      • Dark Energy Science Collaboration
      • Active Galactic Nuclei Science Collaboration
      • Transients and Variable Stars Science Collaboration
      • Strong Lensing Science Collaboration
      • Informatics and Statistics Science Collaboration
    • Citizen Science
      • Committees and teams
      • Science Advisory Committee (SAC)
      • Survey Cadence Optimization Committee (SCOC)
      • Users Committee
      • Community Science Team (CST)
      • Research Inclusion Working Group (RIWG)
      • Project Science Team (PST)
      • In Kind Program
      • Resources
      • In-Kind Program FAQs
      • Frequently Asked Questions
      • How to navigate this website
    • Education
    • First Look Resources for Lasting Impact
    • Education FAQs
    • Educators
    • Glossary
    • Investigations
    • Calendar
Localize site content

Let's Connect

  • Visit the Rubin Observatory on Facebook
  • Visit the Rubin Observatory on Instagram
  • Visit the Rubin Observatory on LinkedIn
  • Visit the Rubin Observatory on Twitter
  • Visit the Rubin Observatory on YouTube