the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Trenton, NJ — Rider University has joined a groundbreaking global effort to unlock the secrets of the cosmos. As part of the LSST Discovery Alliance, Rider is collaborating with more than 30 institutions worldwide to support the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST)—a 10-year mission to create the most complete map of the universe ever attempted.
At the heart of the project is the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, which uses the world’s largest digital camera—roughly the size of a Mini Cooper with an astonishing 3.2-billion-pixel resolution. Every night, the observatory will capture hundreds of images of the Southern Hemisphere sky, building an ultra-high-definition time-lapse record of the universe.
Unlocking Dark Energy, Dark Matter, and New Worlds
The Rubin Observatory’s mission goes far beyond stargazing. Scientists hope it will:
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Shed light on the mystery of dark energy and dark matter
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Track galaxy formation and movement
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Aid in the search for a possible ninth planet in our solar system
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Detect thousands of previously undiscovered asteroids
“This project was designed to go after the biggest questions in physics,” said Dr. John Bochanski, associate professor and chair of Rider’s Department of Computer Science and Physics. “Now that Rubin is functional, it’s a very exciting time. There is certainly Nobel Prize-winning potential here.”
A Universe of Data—Open to All
Unlike past space missions limited to elite institutions, the LSST project was built with data accessibility in mind. Scientists, students, and researchers around the globe will be able to analyze the same treasure trove of observations.
For Rider University, this means students can participate in cutting-edge space research. “I’ll be recruiting undergrads to help with research,” Bochanski explained. “Rider students will have access to the same data as top-tier researchers, making this project uniquely inclusive.”
Inspiring the Next Generation of Scientists
The $800 million observatory, jointly funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, is expected to revolutionize astronomy and inspire new generations of scientists.
“I hope we continue to dream big about answering fundamental questions about our place in the universe,” Bochanski said.
With Rider’s participation, New Jersey students will be directly connected to one of the most ambitious cosmic surveys in history—one that could reshape our understanding of the universe itself.
