Rubin LSST:UK

Each alert includes three “postage stamp” images — the left shows the template image, the center shows the new image, and the right shows the subtracted, or difference, image. The object of interest for a particular alert is centered in the images. In the case of the supernova alert at the bottom, the bright spots in the upper left corners of the template and new images are the center of the supernova’s host galaxy. The supernova itself — not seen in the template image — is clearly revealed in the center of the difference image. Alert images with classifications provided by ALeRCE & Lasair.

This compilation contains 5 examples of alerts. Each alert includes 3 images – template, new, and subtracted image. The supernova itself — not seen in the template image — is clearly revealed in the center of the difference image. 🔭

For the supernova alert at the bottom, the bright spots in the upper left corners of the template and new images are the centre of the supernova’s host galaxy.
📷 NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory/NOIRLab/SLAC/AURA Acknowledgement: Alert images with classifications provided by ALeRCE & Lasair. 🔭

Last week the @vrubinobs.bsky.social public alerts stream went live and a firehose of data began to flow. The UK's Lasair data broker stepped up to the plate, processing 800,000 alerts overnight. We're excited at the prospect of up to 7 million alerts per night! 🔭

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Pleased to see #IRIS #Somerville computer @epcc.bsky.social can handle 1M+ events to be classified by @lsstuk.bsky.social #Lasair each night. On Tuesday, @vrubinobs.bsky.social began streaming details of changes in our night sky: a huge milestone for survey astronomy - www.lsst.ac.uk/news/2026-02...

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Lasair is a clever software system that allows users to build their own filters to find exactly what they want. Congratulations to the team from @physicsastronomyed.bsky.social @oxfordphysics.bsky.social and @qubelfastofficial.bsky.social . Find out more about Lasair at lasair.lsst.ac.uk 🔭

A graphic showing the Rubin Observatory as a white observatory building on a dark hilltop. The night sky is in the background, with data alerts dotted across the sky.

Hunting down supernovae in near real time! Last night, the UK data broker Lasair ingested and rapidly processed 800,000 alerts as the @vrubinobs.bsky.social public alerts stream began! Now anyone can observe astronomical events as they unfold thanks to Rubin’s data brokers. What a milestone! 🔭

Expert Comment: Computers can help us to do science, but they can’t Dr Heloise Stevance, Schmidt AI in Science Fellow in Oxford University’s Physics Department, is a computational astrophysicist developing intelligent recommendation systems for sky surveys. In this

A couple of weeks ago I was asked to speak at the AI and Ethics conference organised at Oxford - my talk has now been put online and summarised in a written piece you can read for free!

After the shenanigans at NeurIPS, scientific rigour is more important than ever

www.ox.ac.uk/news/2026-01...

Dr Héloïse Stevence is a Schmidt AI in Science Fellow at the University of Oxford.

We catch up with Héloïse Stevence @sydonahi.bsky.social to talk astronomy and machine learning – and discover how many Rubin images this Schmidt AI in Science Fellow can classify per minute with the human eye. Read our latest In the Spotlight interview: www.lsst.ac.uk/news/2026-02... 🔭

J'arrive!

Oxford and the Rubin Observatory Perched around 2800 metres high on Cerro Pachón, a mountain in northern Chile, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory is poised to transform our understanding of the Universe. Over the course of 10 years, Rubi...

@oxfordphysics.bsky.social is one of the OGs of Rubin UK and has been championing UK inclusion in @vrubinobs.bsky.social since 2014. This piece explains more and talks to some of Oxford's key Rubin contributors, incl. @aprajitaverma.bsky.social & @chrislintott.bsky.social 🔭
tinyurl.com/56wcbkwe

UK’s £8bn research fund faces “hard decisions” as it pauses new grants UKRI boss Ian Chapman said it had been told by the government to

"[The UK's space-related industry] should be a national success story but instead we are facing the possibility of unsettling and destabilising threats to funding for cutting edge science," says @chrislintott.bsky.social on the BBC today: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... 🔭

From what they'll eat to how they'll poop. Inside the Artemis II crew's mission to the Moon | BBC Sky at Night Magazine What life will be like for the Artemis II crew, from sleeping and eating to exercising, keeping clean and going to the toilet.

Just off the 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿radio after a lovely #Artemis-II return to the moon chat with @ollopa11.bsky.social! Leo taught me that the Orion capsule is the first moon-mission with a toilet-cubicle on board! The 1970s Apollo astronauts were afforded no such dignity😳 🛰️
ℹ️: www.skyatnightmagazine.com/news/artemis...

You’re very welcome. I recommend you contact Sarah directly. Her details (including personal website) are here astro.washington.edu/people/sarah...

We don't know specifically what the craters on asteroid 2025 MN45 look like, since it is too small and far away to be able to resolve it to that level in our telescopic images, but we know it should have craters across its surface, like is depicted in the visualization.” [4/4]

And while an asteroid made of solid rock may form craters on its surface that look different (in size, shape, or depth) than those that would be formed on an asteroid made of a slightly softer material, we'd still expect it to have some craters. … [3/4]

closest dense population of asteroids in our Solar System to the Earth, while still being roughly 150 million miles away. All asteroids are expected to have craters on their surfaces caused by collisions with other asteroids regardless of the strength of their material. … [2/4]

Hi Markus. Sarah Greenstreet, who led the study has responded to your question. “The visualization that was created for the press release is intended to indicate that this fastest-spinning large asteroid known to date lives in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, which is the … [1/4]

We’re a global project and we don’t have that level of detail at the UK HQ (this was a US study) but I’ll try and connect you with the right team.

Hi Markus, here’s a link to the study which has more details: iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3...

Artist’s illustration of 2025 MN45. Credit: NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory/NOIRLab/SLAC/AURA/P. Marenfeld

Starting 2026 with a bang! @vrubinobs.bsky.social has spotted an asteroid the size of 8 American football fields! And the first peer-reviewed paper using LSST Camera data has been published. Read more: www.lsst.ac.uk/news/2026-01... 🔭

Are you a scientific researcher, science policy maker or scientist in industry? Join our upcoming Science+ meeting in London on the topic of science as a global public good: royalsociety.org/science-even... @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social @unesco.org

Janet takes UK research to the stars | Jisc YouTube video by Jisc

What is Janet and how is it supporting the @vrubinobs.bsky.social LSST? This short video explains how @jisc.bsky.social's Janet network is playing a critical role in transferring the huge quantities of LSST data 🔭
youtu.be/L3nFoHoxSKk?...

Snowfall blanketed the mountains of northern Chile on August 4, 2024, including Cerro Pachón, where Rubin Observatory is located.

As the LSST:UK team starts to wind down to enjoy a few days of rest and relaxation, we wish you all a happy and peaceful festive season.

📷 NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/F. Bruno

The visionary physicist who gave us a new way to view the cosmos Tony Tyson is part of Nature’s 10, a list of people who shaped science in 2025.

“We wouldn’t have the Rubin Observatory today if [Tony Tyson] hadn’t had that vision, and also that dogged determination,” says @astroroyalscot.bsky.social. Find out why Tyson is on @nature.com's list of people who shaped science in 2025. 🔭

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

This free opportunity for ECRs to gain new skills 👇

... and you can follow Agata on @agastro.bsky.social 🔭

The UK network enabling cosmic discovery

What's Janet and why is it important for UK astronomy? 🔭 This video by @jisc.bsky.social introduces the UK’s national research and education network. Agata Rożek & @markgbeckett.bsky.social from @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social explain why it's crucial for the Rubin LSST.

www.lsst.ac.uk/news/2025-12...

Blog: 25 Years of Gemini Part II: What Makes Gemini Observatory International Today? The International Gemini Observatory is a partnership of six countries, including the United States, Canada, Chile,... 25 Years of Gemini Part II: What Makes Gemini Observatory International Today?

From @noirlabastro.bsky.social: To celebrate 25 years of the International Gemini Observatory, we’re launching a two-part Blog series! Today, we’re exploring the global contributions made to make this monumental astronomical project happen. noirlab.edu/public/blog/... #astronomy