Unlock the mysteries of the universe with Corning and Rubin Observatory

Set on the Cerro Pachón in Chile, Rubin Observatory just kicked off a program to scan the sky repeatedly with the largest digital camera ever built. Rubin calls this 10-year initiative the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), and it will help scientists learn more about outer space than ever before. 

Corning Advanced Optics played a key role in equipping Rubin to be able to capture the deepest views of the universe to date and help answer some of humanity’s most pressing questions about our universe.

As part of an almost two-decade partnership, Corning Advanced Optics built Rubin’s secondary mirror, which is the largest convex mirror in operation today. Secondary mirrors catch light from the primary mirrors inside telescopes, refocus this light, and then send it toward sensors.

Constructed at Advanced Optics’ facility in Canton, New York, the 11-foot-wide, 1,500-pound glass mirror helps Rubin’s Simonyi Survey Telescope capture as many photons of light as possible at one time. Some of these light photons are billions of years old.

With all of this light distilled, the LSST Camera inside the observatory can then capture intensely detailed and deep imagery of outer space. The digital camera will snap these photos of the southern hemisphere sky for 10 years, covering the visible sky every few nights. This steady cadence is important for researchers, as any time an object in the sky moves, flashes, or pulses, Rubin will promptly catch this phenomenon and then push out an alert notification across the globe.

In that sense, the imagery coming from Rubin is more akin to a movie rather than a collection of still images, helping to dynamize the night sky and unlock discoveries ranging from comets to supernova explosions.

 “The dedication and craftsmanship of Corning’s Canton glassmakers have been pivotal in enabling groundbreaking missions like Rubin Observatory. Their expertise has helped us push the boundaries of what’s possible, contributing to humanity’s quest to understand the vast mysteries of the universe,” said Canton Plant Manager Patrick Gilley. Astronomers will be able to identify potentially harmful asteroids from the photos and also delve into larger questions about outer space, such as the nature of dark matter and the evolution of the universe.

Since the 1930s, Corning has provided invaluable technological innovations to the fields of space exploration and discovery, including for both the Hubble and James Webb space telescopes.

For this latest project, Corning Advanced Optics built Rubin Observatory’s secondary mirror with Corning® ULE® Glass. This titania-silicate glass material invented by Corning in the 1960s offers near-zero expansion characteristics, a significant feature that allows the telescope to maintain its focus. 

Corning carefully combined smaller sections of ULE Glass to create the large mirror. 

Corning collaborated on the technology with L3Harris, which polished the mirror – key to the mirror’s performance – at its facility in Rochester, New York.

Once the mirror was delivered to Chile, the observatory’s staff mounted the LSST Camera in a hole in the middle of the mirror. The telescope’s unique design allows it to snap an image every five seconds, which is faster than any other telescope of its size.

With this imagery, the observatory will transfer and process 20 terabytes of astronomical data every night. Then, with more data about the universe than ever before, scientists will even start to conceptualize questions they don’t know yet how to ask, helping humans understand more about our place in the universe.

“For almost two centuries, Corning has made the impossible possible and changed the way we see the world through material science innovation,” added Patrick. “Together with Rubin Observatory, we’re proud that Corning glass will help scientists reveal millions of previously unknown Solar System objects – transforming our understanding of the cosmos for generations to come.”