The Rubin First Look images will be released on June 23, 2025.
Fermilab employees, users and affiliates are invited to take part in an exciting moment for astronomy: the First Look livestream from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory — June 23, 2025 at 10 a.m. US CDT.
Watch from your own device or join an in-person watch party in the WH8XO Hornet’s Nest (capacity: 60 people). This is a unique opportunity to see the first images from one of the most ambitious sky surveys. Some of the astrophysicists involved in Rubin will be on hand in the Hornet’s Nest to answer questions and discuss the images.
Fermilab’s role in the Rubin Observatory
Fermilab plays a key role in the operation of the Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time—a 10-year effort to capture detailed images for a time-lapse record of our universe.
Fermilab researchers have contributed through:
- Managing data: Overseeing the transfer and organization of massive data sets from the observatory to the project’s major data centers in the U.S., UK and France.
- Processing data: Running analyses on images, including those featured at the First Look event.
- Survey strategy: Fermilab helps optimize the LSST survey, ensuring the quality of Rubin data and facilitating communication between the project and data users.
- Validating science: Ensuring that the data is accurate and scientifically reliable.
- Community engagement: Supporting U.S., Chilean and international researchers in using LSST data for discovery.
Fermilab brings expertise from previous sky surveys, including the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, the Dark Energy Survey and the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument. This experience in data processing, software development, survey planning and data validation directly supports the success of Rubin’s mission.
Celebrate this milestone—virtually or in person!
More information can be found on the Fermi News story here.