Rubin Education News
2 January 2025
Where Stars Meet Science
Sitting at 2647 meters (8684 feet) on Cerro Pachón in Chile, NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory is situated at one of the best places for observing the night sky. The site offers high peaks and dry air, and averages about 300 clear nights a year. The high altitude places the observatory above more layers of the Earth’s atmosphere, providing clearer images. The closest city, La Serena, is located about 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the observatory. This is far enough away from city lights but close enough to have access to essential infrastructure and support.
Visit the Rubin in Chile webpage for more information and resources about how the site was selected for the observatory.
A Milestone Moment
The Rubin Education and Public Outreach Team traveled to Chile for two weeks in November. The trip included meeting with various astronomy organizations and touring facilities in Santiago, and two days of visiting telescopes and observatories at Cerro Pachón and Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, including Gemini South, the Victor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope, the Southern Astrophysical Research (SOAR) Telescope, and of course, Rubin Observatory, which is just months away from First Look when the first images from the fully operational telescope will be released to the public.
Team members recounted that the most valuable aspects of the trip were seeing Rubin’s telescope for the first time, and the time spent together as a team, including meetings with Chilean colleagues.
Contacts
Ardis Herrold
Senior Education Specialist
Rubin Observatory
Email: ardis.herrold@noirlab.edu