First celestial images from world’s largest camera unveiled - with help from Herts researchers

The first ever photos from the world’s largest camera have finally been revealed, with key contributions from scientists at the University of Hertfordshire.

The Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) camera, housed at the Vera C Rubin Observatory in Chile, has produced what astronomers describe as “ultra-wide, ultra-high-definition” views of the cosmos, marking a major milestone in the step towards transforming our understanding of the Universe.

One of the so called “first look” images show the Trifid nebula and the Lagoon nebula, which are several thousand light-years away from Earth, in unprecedented detail.

Another one is of the Virgo cluster - a massive cluster of galaxies around 65 million light-years away, in the constellation Virgo.

At the heart of this achievement is Professor Sugata Kaviraj from the University of Hertfordshire’s Centre for Astrophysics Research.

He leads a team that developed cutting-edge algorithms capable of classifying data from billions of galaxies into just 200 meaningful clusters within days - dramatically accelerating how astronomers process and interpret vast cosmic datasets.

Professor Kaviraj, who has been involved with the LSST project since 2015, co-chairs the LSST Galaxies Science Collaboration, a global team of over 350 researchers.

His group also developed the "sky subtraction" algorithms essential for producing the final, science-ready images from the LSST.

Professor Kaviraj said: “Seeing the first images is awe-inspiring – it’s a powerful reminder of how much we’re about to learn. It is exciting to see this long-anticipated moment finally arrive.

“For several decades, astronomers around the world have been building the tools, simulations and science collaborations in preparation for the LSST.

“Now the reality of working with such a transformative dataset is beginning to sink in.

“There's a strong sense of excitement about what is undoubtedly the beginning of a new era in astronomy and the discoveries that lie ahead - many of which we can't even predict.”

The LSST camera is about the size of a small car, weighing 2,800kg, and boasting a 3,200-megapixel resolution, equivalent to 400 ultra-HD TVs.

Its five-foot-wide lens will help the Rubin Observatory scan the entire southern sky every three to four nights over a 10-year mission, capturing each region roughly 800 times.

Mounted on the Simonyi Survey Telescope, the LSST will catalogue an estimated 17 billion stars, 20 billion galaxies and millions of other objects.

Prof Kaviraj said: “Its vast petabyte-scale dataset will allow astronomers to detect transient phenomena such as exploding stars, moving objects in the Solar System and accreting black holes in the centres of galaxies.

“It will also revolutionise our understanding of galaxy evolution and the mysterious forces of dark matter and dark energy.”

Named after pioneering astronomer Vera C Rubin, the observatory is funded by the US National Science Foundation and Department of Energy, with major contributions from the UK, France, Chile, and the US.

The UK is playing a pivotal role, supported by a £23 million investment from the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), and will host one of three international data facilities.

British researchers are helping to develop the software and infrastructure needed to process the LSST’s immense data output - expected to reach 500 petabytes, or the equivalent of over 100 million HD movies.

Dr Aprajita Verma, Senior Researcher at the University of Oxford and UK Lead for the Rubin Observatory’s In-kind Programme, highlighted the importance of the UK’s contribution: “Our involvement ensures proprietary data access for UK scientists and fosters collaboration with international colleagues on the most pressing questions in astrophysics.”

Professor Bob Mann, LSST:UK Project Leader and Professor of Survey Astronomy at the University of Edinburgh, added: “UK researchers have been preparing for this moment for over ten years. These First Look images confirm that everything is working beautifully and promise a decade of extraordinary science ahead.”

Professor Graham Smith, LSST:UK Project Scientist and Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Birmingham, echoed the excitement: “LSST:UK is central to the software pipelines that will drive scientific breakthroughs. We’re also a key part of the global infrastructure that will alert the world to new cosmic phenomena.”