Leicester astronomers play key role in groundbreaking movie of the cosmos by new observatory

The first images have been released from a new observatory that will scan the sky repeatedly to reveal features of our universe never seen before. 

As the NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science, showcases its stunning first images on 23 June 2025, researchers including scientists from the University of Leicester are celebrating their role in the most ambitious sky survey to date. 

The Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time, or LSST, will reveal the secrets of the cosmos over the next decade, creating an ultra-wide ultra-high-definition time-lapse record of our Universe. 

Conceived in the 1990s, Rubin is the first of its kind: its mirror design, camera size and sensitivity, telescope speed, and computing infrastructure are each in an entirely new category. Over the next 10 years, Rubin will perform the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) using the LSST Camera and the Simonyi Survey Telescope. By repeatedly scanning the sky for ten years, the observatory will deliver a treasure trove of discoveries: asteroids and comets, pulsating stars, and supernova explosions. Science operations are expected to start towards the end of 2025.

The University of Leicester was one of the founder members of the LSST:UK Consortium, set up in 2014 to promote UK involvement in LSST (now the Vera C. Rubin Observatory project). Among those involved is Professor Mike Watson, chair of the Consortium Board, the governing body of the UK collaboration, whilst Professor Nial Tanvir has chaired the UK data rights allocation panel and Dr Sarah Casewell sits on the LSST:UK consortium’s Executive Group which steers the day-to-day running of the project.

Academics, post-doctoral researchers and students from the University of Leicester expect to be involved in the scientific exploitation of the rich observations that Rubin is about to deliver for a decade or more. The project will deliver key data that will be the focus of Leicester research for years to come, proving vital data for projects ranging from the study of brown and white dwarfs, to the feeding of massive black holes in galaxy cores and investigations of the extreme events that lead to gamma-ray bursts and gravitational waves.

Professor Mike Watson, from the University of Leicester School of Physics and Astronomy, said: “When I first heard about the project in 2014, I knew I had to get involved. I made the right choice! The Rubin Observatory is about to become one of the premier astronomical facilities of this decade and beyond. Leicester has key strengths in astrophysical research, coupled with a rich heritage in survey and time domain astronomy that will directly benefit from the UK’s involvement in the project.”

“It’s been a privilege and a pleasure to play a small part in this tremendous project, and I wait with excitement to see the first images.”

Enabled by an investment of £23 million from the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), UK astronomers and software developers have been preparing the hardware and software needed to analyse the petabytes of data that the survey will produce to enable groundbreaking science that will enhance our understanding of the universe. 

The UK is the second largest international contributor to the multinational project, putting UK astronomers at the forefront when it comes to exploiting this unique window on the Universe.

Dr Aprajita Verma, Senior Researcher at the University of Oxford and Rubin Observatory In-kind Program Lead, says the wide range of UK activity providing value to the Rubin Observatory and the US community represents the UK's commitment to the Legacy Survey of Space and Time: “The UK contribution enables our large scientific community to receive proprietary data access in return and – importantly – allows us to engage and collaborate with international colleagues on a wide range of scientific questions that Rubin data will address.”

Professor Bob Mann, Professor of Survey Astronomy, University of Edinburgh and LSST:UK Project Leader said: “UK researchers have been contributing to the scientific and technical preparation for the Rubin LSST for more than ten years. These exciting First Look images show that everything is working well and reassure us that we have a decade’s worth of wonderful data coming our way, with which UK astronomers will do great science.”

Professor Graham Smith, Professor of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham is the LSST:UK Project Scientist. He said: “First Look is a beautiful glimpse of what is to come during the Rubin/LSST era. LSST:UK is making major contributions to the software pipelines on which scientific breakthroughs depend; it’s also a major player in the global infrastructure that will alert the whole world to exciting new discoveries of moving and exploding objects.”