Early images aside, the commissioning and honing of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory continues. The project states that most things are coming along nicely, except the Atacama weather- observing had to stop due to the Austral Winter not cooperating. Oh… Read More »Vera Rubin Update (Aug 2025)
Wow, good Astronomy & Astrophysics for July (vol 699): Smirnov, E. A. Chaotic diffusion and transient resonance captures of the near-Earth asteroid 2024 YR4 A26 202554489 Läuter, M. and Kramer, T. Rotation dynamics and torque efficiency of cometary nuclei A75 202553845… Read More »Note, Paper: A&A Eleven Ways
This August’s Astronomical Journal (vol. 170 #2) includes: López-Oquendo, A. J. Hora, J. L. Trilling, D. E. et al. Thermal and Optical Characterization of Near-Earth Objects: Science Commissioning of the Recently Upgraded Mid-infrared… 82 ade398Holman, M. J. Bernardinelli, P. H.… Read More »Note, Paper: Better Netter
The Rubin Observatory Community Workshop 2025 continues, all week. Its program: https://project.lsst.org/meetings/rubin2025/program/agenda (see also Pt. 1) The observatory and project staff (not all on the mountaintop, or even Chile + US) are gathering for a head-to-head on the program and… Read More »Rubin Community Workshop 2025- Pt. 2
This week: the Vera Rubin Observatory‘s Community Workshop, 2025. In which the program scientists (including foreign contributors/collaborators) share their current status and coming plans. This year, unlike last, the body of experts has real meat on the table. Their agenda:… Read More »Rubin Community Workshop 2025- Pt. 1
Blogworthy two ways: Astrophysics > Earth and Planetary Astrophysics arxiv.org/abs/2507.13409[Submitted on 17 Jul 2025]Chandler, C. O. Bernardinelli, P. H. Jurić, M. et al, NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory Observations of Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS (C/2025 N1) The Rubin Observatory is so… Read More »Vera Rubin Upfront (3I)
Since we’re talking about an object penetrating our Solar System from other parts of the galaxy, it was inevitable that this would draw wider media coverage. That coverage: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HeTCmtNJSUJul 3, 2025 Scott Manley We Just Discovered The Fastest Interstellar Comet… Read More »3I/ATLAS Patch
Just in at Science magazine: the rush to observe interstellar object 3I/ATLAS. https://www.science.org/content/article/astronomers-race-study-interstellar-interloper11 Jul 2025 Adam Mann Astronomers race to study interstellar interloper z1ju4jb We have a few brief months to study this example of material from another system. In… Read More »3I/ATLAS Wrangling
The coverage and hoopla around the Vera C. Rubin Observatory have died down a bit. Mentioned briefly in the First Look Event was the Skyviewer “app” (actually an interactive website, skyviewer.app), which includes a sonification tool (Skysynth). This site/app allows… Read More »Vera Rubin Uploading
Okay, one more Rubin Observatory post: gizmodo.com/rubin-observatorys-stunning-result-proves-its-a-game-changer-for-spotting-dangerous-asteroids-2000621581 I’ve already posted that the Vera Rubin Observatory will be– and now demonstrates it is– the new and undisputed champion of asteroid discovery. Let the conspiracy theory nuts take heed: NASA is not… Read More »Vera Rubin Upstanding