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The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science will support Rubin Observatory in its operations phase to carry out the Legacy Survey of Space and Time. They will also provide support for scientific research with the data. During operations, NSF funding is managed by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) under a cooperative agreement with NSF, and DOE funding is managed by SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), under contract by DOE. Rubin Observatory is operated by NSF NOIRLab and SLAC.

NSF is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 to promote the progress of science. NSF supports basic research and people to create knowledge that transforms the future.

The DOE Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time.

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  2. Rubin Observatory First Look

This page will be updated as new information becomes available.
(Last updated: May 28, 2025)

Coming June 23, 2025: First Look at the cosmos with NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory

Get ready to join us virtually around the world on June 23, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. US EDT as we unveil the first spectacular images from NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory! This First Look event will be live streamed via Youtube in English and in Spanish — links will be made available here and via social media. Join us to celebrate the start of a new era in astronomy and astrophysics with the world's newest and most powerful survey telescope.

Over the next ten years, Rubin Observatory will create the ultimate movie of the night sky using the largest camera ever built — repeatedly scanning the sky to create an ultra-wide, ultra-high-definition time-lapse record of our Universe.

First Look is just the beginning....

Join the celebration!

Want to attend an in-person celebration? Hundreds of venues around the globe will be hosting watch parties that include a public viewing of the live stream.

Join the global celebration of NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s first images with a Rubin First Look Watch Party — find one near you or host your own!

Find an event near you

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