Packed into this single image from Rubin Observatory are many different kinds of galaxies: spirals with delicate arms, smooth elliptical galaxies, distorted merging galaxies, and faint red galaxies from the distant Universe. Only a relatively small number of bright stars from our own Milky Way appear in the foreground, leaving an unusually clear view of galaxies stretching far into the distance.<\/p>\n
Rubin Observatory is jointly funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF<\/a>) and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science (DOE\/SC<\/a>).<\/p>\n This image was captured with Rubin\u2019s 3.2-gigapixel\u00a0LSST Camera<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 the largest digital camera in the world, mounted on the 8.4-meter\u00a0Simonyi Survey Telescope<\/a>. It features the well-known and well-studied region of sky known as the\u00a0COSMOS field<\/a>. It was created by stacking hundreds of individual observations and contains more than half a million galaxies and more than 50,000 stars.<\/p>\n The COSMOS field is especially valuable to astronomers because it looks away from the crowded plane of our Milky Way. With fewer nearby stars and clouds of dust blocking the view, telescopes can see enormous numbers of distant galaxies, many so far away that their light has traveled for billions of years before reaching Earth. Looking deeper into space also means looking farther back in time, allowing scientists to study galaxies at many different stages in the history of the Universe.<\/p>\n Astronomers have studied COSMOS for more than two decades. Beginning with observations by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2003, researchers around the world have pointed many of the world\u2019s leading telescopes at this same area, observing it in wavelengths ranging from radio waves to X-rays. Because the field has been observed so extensively, it serves as an important reference point for testing new data, comparing measurements, and combining information from many observatories.<\/p>\n Rubin now brings something new to this familiar field: a combination of depth, wide-field coverage, and repeated observations. By imaging COSMOS again and again with the LSST Camera, Rubin will complement earlier observations and add a dynamic view of the field. This perspective will help astronomers study not only what distant galaxies look like, but also how the sky changes over time.<\/p>\n Because of its scientific value, the COSMOS field is among the regions that will be observed more frequently than most areas included in the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST<\/a>) \u2014 Rubin\u2019s ten-year survey aimed at creating the most comprehensive, cinematic record of the Universe in history. With added observations, Rubin will create an even deeper view, revealing fainter galaxies and finer details than can be seen in this first image.<\/p>\n This image is being released today to mark the occasion of Rubin\u2019s Early Data Preview 2, or EDP2 \u2014 the first phase of Rubin\u2019s Data Preview 2 release. EDP2 is Rubin\u2019s first data preview based on observations from the LSST Camera\u00a0[1]<\/a>. It combines Rubin\u2019s science validation observations collected between April 2025 and January 2026. It provides the Rubin science community with a deep co-added (stacked) image covering 3000 square degrees of night sky, which is around one-sixth of the entire visible Southern Hemisphere sky.<\/p>\n \u201cThe COSMOS deep image is just the beginning for Rubin in this region. Repeated visits to the field over the next few years will demonstrate the power of our survey design for discovery by providing our science community with a huge number of transient and variable objects like supernovae and other explosive transients for follow-up and detailed study,\u201d\u00a0says Bob Blum, Director of Rubin Observatory at NSF NOIRLab.<\/p>\n While EDP2 is not a release of data from the full LSST, which has only\u00a0recently begun<\/a>, it is a scientifically valuable data release in and of itself. The data preview gives scientists a rich look at the Southern Hemisphere sky, while allowing the Rubin science community to test tools, validate data products, and prepare for the decade-long survey ahead. Notably, EDP2 includes the COSMOS field, as well as the region of sky captured in Rubin\u2019s\u00a0Ocean of Stars<\/a>\u00a0image, which was released to celebrate the beginning of the LSST.<\/p>\n \u201cThe COSMOS field is a very important one for LSST science,\u201d\u00a0says Phil Marshall, Deputy Director of Rubin Observatory at SLAC.\u00a0\u201cIts wealth of prior observations, and its repeated targeting both during commissioning and as one of the LSST\u2019s deep fields, will make it very valuable as a testing ground for scientists as they get ready to take on the survey data.\u201d<\/p>\n With this new view of COSMOS, Rubin offers an early glimpse of the science to come: an extraordinarily deep and wide view of the Universe, revealing both the vast population of distant galaxies and the changing sky above Earth. Visit the\u00a0Rubin Skyviewer app<\/a>\u00a0to explore this field in more detail.<\/p>\n Bob Blum adds:\u00a0\u201cAs we celebrate the start of science with Rubin Observatory, our thoughts are with our staff and the community of Chile impacted by the recent devastating storms in the region of Coquimbo and beyond. Our priority is to ensure the well-being of our staff in the region and support the community where we live and work. This image marking the start of LSST science is dedicated to the people of the region of Coquimbo and is a small token of our gratitude for their decades of support for astronomy and the AURA Observatories in Chile.\u201d<\/p>\n The second phase of EDP2, expected in the October\u2013December 2026 timeframe, will add products derived from individual images. This includes the processed visit images from individual observations, difference images that show only detected changes, and the template images, which are compared to the individual visit images to produce the difference images.<\/p>\n Access to EDP2 is available right now to researchers in the U.S. and Chile, as well as authorized international Rubin\u00a0data-rights holders<\/a>. In keeping with Rubin Observatory\u2019s data-access policy, the data products will be made openly available to the public after a two-year proprietary period.<\/p>\n Notes<\/p>\n [1] Rubin\u2019s Data Preview 1 (DP1), released in June 2025, contained observations from October\u2013December 2024 taken with the LSST Commissioning Camera \u2014 a much smaller version of the LSST Camera that was used to conduct test campaigns.<\/p>\n More information<\/p>\n NSF\u2013DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy\u2019s Office of Science, is a groundbreaking new astronomy and astrophysics observatory on Cerro Pach\u00f3n in Chile. It is named after astronomer Vera Rubin, who provided the first convincing evidence for the existence of dark matter. Using the largest camera ever built, Rubin will repeatedly scan the sky for 10 years to create an ultra-wide, ultra-high-definition, time-lapse record of our Universe.<\/p>\n NSF\u2013DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory is a joint initiative of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF<\/a>) and the U.S. Department of Energy\u2019s Office of Science (DOE\/SC<\/a>). Its primary mission is to carry out the Legacy Survey of Space and Time, providing an unprecedented data set for scientific research supported by both agencies. Rubin is operated jointly by\u00a0NSF NOIRLab<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0SLAC<\/a>\u00a0National Accelerator Laboratory. NSF NOIRLab is managed by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA<\/a>) and SLAC is operated by\u00a0Stanford University<\/a>\u00a0for the DOE. France provides key support to the construction and operations of Rubin Observatory through contributions from\u00a0CNRS<\/a>\/IN2P3<\/a>. The Science and Technology Facilities Council supports the wide range of UK contributions to Rubin operations provided through the\u00a0LSST:UK Science Centre<\/a>\u00a0programme. Rubin Observatory is privileged to conduct research in Chile and gratefully acknowledges additional contributions from more than 40 international organizations and teams.<\/p>\n The U.S. National Science Foundation (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.<\/p>\n The DOE\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n NSF NOIRLab<\/a>, the U.S. National Science Foundation center for ground-based optical-infrared astronomy, operates the\u00a0International Gemini Observatory<\/a>\u00a0(a facility of\u00a0NSF<\/a>,\u00a0NRC\u2013Canada<\/a>,\u00a0ANID\u2013Chile<\/a>,\u00a0MCTIC\u2013Brazil<\/a>,\u00a0MINCyT\u2013Argentina<\/a>, and\u00a0KASI\u2013Republic of Korea<\/a>), NSF Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO<\/a>), NSF Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO<\/a>), the Community Science and Data Center (CSDC<\/a>), and NSF\u2013DOE\u00a0Vera C. Rubin Observatory<\/a>\u00a0(in cooperation with\u00a0DOE<\/a>\u2019s\u00a0SLAC<\/a>\u00a0National Accelerator Laboratory). It is managed by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA<\/a>) under a cooperative agreement with\u00a0NSF<\/a>\u00a0and is headquartered in Tucson, Arizona.\u00a0<\/p>\n The scientific community is honored to have the opportunity to conduct astronomical research on\u00a0I\u2019oligam Du\u2019ag\u00a0(Kitt Peak) in Arizona, on\u00a0Maunakea\u00a0in Hawai\u2018i, and on Cerro Tololo and Cerro Pach\u00f3n in Chile. We recognize and acknowledge the very significant cultural role and reverence of\u00a0I\u2019oligam Du\u2019ag\u00a0to the Tohono O\u2019odham Nation, and\u00a0Maunakea\u00a0to the\u00a0Kanaka Maoli\u00a0(Native Hawaiians) community.<\/p>\n SLAC<\/a>\u00a0National Accelerator Laboratory explores how the Universe works at the biggest, smallest and fastest scales and invents powerful tools used by researchers around the globe. As world leaders in ultrafast science and bold explorers of the physics of the Universe, we forge new ground in understanding our origins and building a healthier and more sustainable future. Our\u00a0discovery and innovation<\/a>\u00a0help develop new materials and chemical processes and open unprecedented views of the cosmos and life\u2019s most delicate machinery. Building on more than 60 years of visionary research, we help shape the future by advancing areas such as quantum technology, scientific computing and the development of next-generation accelerators. SLAC is operated by Stanford University for the U.S. Department of Energy\u2019s\u00a0Office of Science<\/a>.<\/p>\n Forty-three international teams outside the U.S. and Chile are contributing to Rubin Observatory and LSST Science through the\u00a0In-kind Program<\/a>, in exchange for LSST data rights. These contributions are recognized in the\u00a0International Data Rights Holder<\/a>\u00a0list, which includes all individuals nominated by their respective international programs.<\/p>\n LinksContacts<\/p>\n Bob Blum Phil Marshall Josie Fenske
Director for Operations
NSF\u2013DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory\/NSF NOIRLab
Email:\u00a0[email\u00a0protected]<\/a><\/p>\n
Deputy Director of Operations
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
Email:\u00a0[email\u00a0protected]<\/a><\/p>\n
Public Information Officer
NSF NOIRLab
Email:\u00a0[email\u00a0protected]<\/a><\/p>\n