The first images from the observatory will be published on 23 June 2025 at 17:00 CEST. Researchers from the Max Planck Society report on their planned research
View of Vera C. Rubin Observatory beneath the glittering band of the Milky Way. Rubin Observatory, located in Chile, will use an 8.4-meter telescope equipped with the largest digital camera in the world to conduct a 10-year survey of the entire southern hemisphere sky beginning in late 2025.
© Rubin Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/H. Stockebrand
To the point
- First images: On 23 June 2025, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory will release its first telescope images, marking the start of scientific operations. Media representatives are invited to attend the presentation of the first images in a hybrid event at the Haus der Astronomie in Heidelberg or online.
- Comprehensive sky survey: The observatory will conduct a ten-year survey of the southern sky, investigating the influence of dark matter and dark energy on the distribution of galaxies in the universe, as well as variable phenomena such as supernovae and the flaring of galaxy cores when they swallow matter.
- Telescope of records: With an 8.4-metre telescope and the world's largest digital camera, the observatory captures large amounts of data.
- Participation of Max Planck Researchers: Astronomers from the Max Planck Society hold rights to the observatory's future data and explain their science goals in this article.
On Monday, 23 June 2025, at 5 p.m. CEST, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory will publish its first telescope images. This 'first look' is a milestone on the road to scientific operation. Impressive images are expected that will demonstrate the capabilities of the observatory and its 3,200-megapixel camera, similar to the first images from the Euclid space telescope before it began its survey of the sky. The Astronomical Computing Centre, which is part of the Centre for Astronomy at Heidelberg University, and the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy are involved in the project and are contributing to the software development. This gives them preferential access to the telescope's data. In addition, a number of astronomers from the Max Planck Society already hold rights to data that the observatory will record as part of the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST).
