Vera C. Rubin Observatory

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory houses an 8.4-meter telescope and a 3.2-gigapixel digital camera for photographing the entire visible sky every few nights.

Construction of this scientific facility began in 2015 with the first stone ceremony, following its proposal in 2001 and subsequent funding approval by the National Science Foundation.

The observatory carries the name of American astronomer Vera Rubin, who made fundamental discoveries about galaxy rotation rates and dark matter research.

Located at 2,672 meters elevation on Cerro Pachón mountain, the facility processes 20 terabytes of astronomical data nightly through automated systems.

The facility's camera, measuring the size of a small car and weighing 2,800 kilograms, contains 189 sensors arranged across 21 rafts for detailed sky observation.

Location: Elqui Province

Elevation above the sea: 2,672.75 m

Diameter: 5.016 m

Website: https://rubinobservatory.org

GPS coordinates: -30.24464,-70.74942

Latest update: June 17, 2025 06:56