Rubin Tracks Skyscraper-Size Asteroids, Supernovas, and Interstellar Visitors
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile has begun collecting preliminary data, marking the start of a new era in big-data astronomy. It has already discovered thousands of asteroids, including rapidly spinning 'superfast rotators,' and detected rare interstellar visitors. The observatory's 10-year Legacy Survey of Space and Time promises to revolutionize our understanding of transient cosmic phenomena.
- ▪The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is located on Cerro Pachón in the Atacama Desert of Chile.
- ▪In its first year, Rubin is expected to discover 1 million previously unknown asteroids.
- ▪The asteroid 2025 MN45, about 700 meters in diameter, rotates once every 1.88 minutes, defying expectations for its size.
- ▪Rubin's telescope features an 8.4-meter primary mirror and the largest digital camera on Earth.
- ▪The observatory has captured evidence of objects from outside our solar system passing through.
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Home Rubin Tracks Skyscraper-Size Asteroids, Failed Supernovas, and Interstellar Visitors Comment Save Article Read Later Share Facebook Copied! Copy link Email Pocket Reddit Ycombinator Comment Comments Save Article Read Later Read Later astronomy Rubin Tracks Skyscraper-Size Asteroids, Failed Supernovas, and Interstellar Visitors By Jonathan O'Callaghan May 15, 2026 Astronomers are preparing for a new era of big-data astronomy, and results are already starting to arrive. Comment Save Article Read Later The Vera C. Rubin Observatory sits at the summit of Cerro Pachón, accessible by a 35-kilometer drive on winding mountain roads. NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory/NOIRLab/SLAC/AURA/A. Pizarro D.
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