Journey of Astronomy’s Largest Camera

How scientists shipped astronomy's largest camera from California to Chile

 


After two decades of meticulous work, the camera destined for the Vera C. Rubin Observatory has finally reached its home atop the Cerro Pachón mountain in Chile. This remarkable camera is the heart of the Rubin Observatory's Simonyi Survey Telescope, and it's no ordinary piece of equipment—it's the largest camera ever built for astronomy. Weighing a staggering 6,600 pounds (3 metric tons) and spanning over five feet (1.5 meters) across, the camera's safe transport from the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in California to the observatory's location was a monumental task.

 

To minimize risk to the $168-million eyepiece, scientists and engineers conducted a "full dress rehearsal" in 2021. They shipped an analog of the camera's mass to Chile, equipped with data loggers to document the conditions it would encounter during the journey. On May 14, 2024, the actual camera embarked on a 10-hour flight from San Francisco to Chile aboard a Boeing 747 cargo plane. It then travelled by road, covering 21.7 miles (35 kilometres) up a winding dirt road to reach the summit of Cerro Pachón, sitting more than 8,900 feet (2,713 meters) above sea level.

 

This achievement represents a significant milestone in our quest to explore the cosmos, and the camera's installation promises groundbreaking discoveries in the field of astronomy.

 

For more details on this news article, pl visit the URL below

 

The original article can be found on –

 

https://www.space.com/scientists-astronomy-largest-camera-california-chile

 

Please note that the credit for this news goes to the original source mentioned above.

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