On June 23, 2025, the global astronomy community gathered for a monumental moment: the unveiling of the first images from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile.
The Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics in the Faculty of Arts & Science hosted a Rubin First Look Watch Party, where researchers, students, and astronomy enthusiasts watched history unfold as the largest camera ever built captured its first glimpse of the night sky.
Astronomers and astrophysicists at the University of Toronto involved in the international collaboration have been preparing for Rubin’s “first look” at the Universe for decades, and are eager to get their hands on this exquisite data.
The new images mark the start of Rubin’s 10-year Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), which will map the southern sky every few nights, capturing billions of stars, galaxies, and solar system objects — each imaged over 800 times.
The observatory will detect 10,000 new objects and send 10 million alerts each night, enabling astronomers to track cosmic changes in real time. Within just one year, Rubin is expected to discover more asteroids than all previous telescopes combined.
- Read the full story on the Dunlap website: Join us for the “first look” at images from Vera C. Rubin Observatory, taken with the largest camera ever built
In the News:
- Live interview with Renée Hložek
June 24 | CBC Toronto: Here and Now - Telescope images give 1st ultra HD images of the universe
June 23 | CBC The National - First look at the universe from the Earth's largest camera
June 23 | CBC Toronto - Eye to the sky: First images shared from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory reveal why it will change astronomy forever
June 23 | The Globe and Mail - New giant telescope reveals its 1st images of our universe
June 23 | CBC News - Science - All-seeing eye: The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is set to transform astronomy. Its wide and fast survey will discover billions of dynamic objects while building up a deep map of the universe
June 18 | Science - The revolutionary Vera C. Rubin Observatory will unveil new insights about our universe—and you can catch a first look at a local event or online on Monday
June 20 | Smithsonian.com - The World's Largest Camera Is About to Unveil Its First Photos of Space. Here's How to Follow Along With a Live Stream
June 20 | MSN.com