New Telescope Shows Hope for a Better Future

When you look up at the night sky, do you ever find yourself confused about the endless possibilities above you? Well, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory might help answer some of those questions. The Vera C. Rubin Observatory, located on Cerro Pachón in the Andes Mountains of Chile, is a telescope built to undertake a 10-year survey of the Southern Hemisphere sky, aiming to begin its mission during the second half of 2025.

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory can spot hidden asteroids that astronomers could not detect. This telescope is 2,682 meters high and can survey the sky in mere seconds, spotting any asteroids or objects near Earth. With this new technology, astronomers can easily detect any dangerous objects coming towards Earth and can better warn people to quickly seek safety. With Rubin, Earth is safer and can be less frightened when danger does approach. As the news of the telescope spreads, the New York Times commented, “Rubin’s scans of the night sky will also help make Earth a safer place, spotting potentially dangerous asteroids that have so far eluded detection.”

Better technology comes with a better understanding of the world around us. Dark matter, a confusing topic to many astronomers, does not interact with electromagnetic radiation, nor does it reflect or absorb light, which makes it hard to identify using a regular telescope. But astronomers plan on using Rubin to detect the dark matter using its high level of technology, such as its wide field of view and high resolution, which many telescopes lack. With Rubin, questions that have been asked for decades may soon be answered.

Not only does Rubin provide understanding of the outside world and space, but also creates gender awareness. The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is named after the female astronomer, Vera Rubin. According to the New York Times, Leanne Guy, the data management scientist at the Rubin Observatory, said, “Everyone’s heard of Einstein and Feynman and all these other male physicists,” so such essential technology being named after a female is a big leap in women’s rights. And after Vera Rubin became famous, many programs began to recognize the inequality between men and women, and started offering more opportunities for both males and females.

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory has impacted many people’s lives, and made a significant impact on not only space understanding in topics such as dark matter, and detecting moving objects close to Earth, but also created a significant impact on women’s rights. And after the survey is done, new ideas may be created, topics may be understood, and possibilities may still be endless.

Word count: 433

Sources:

https://rubinobservatory.org/about

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/23/science/rubin-telescope-asteroids.html

https://rubinobservatory.org/news/first-imagery-rubin