Chile is set to install the world’s largest astronomy camera atop Cerro Pachón in the Coquimbo region, on the edge of the Atacama Desert. This marks a significant step in the construction of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, which includes a telescope and a massive camera weighing nearly 3 tons with a resolution exceeding 3.2 gigapixels – the largest ever designed for astronomical research.
The Rubin Observatory is an advanced, integrated system featuring an 8-meter primary telescope, a high-resolution camera, and an automated data processing system, as detailed on the official website. The observatory is expected to collect around 20 terabytes of data daily, culminating in a 15-petabyte catalog over its decade-long survey.
This ambitious mission aims to enhance our understanding of dark matter and assess potential asteroid impact threats to Earth, as well as studying nearby stars and planets.