Nice to enjoy the lovely weather with the QUB Solar System research group in an outside beer garden. Now to get ready for my 10pm telecon
The observatory is being constructed right now in Chile. It is expected to turn on mid-2024.
Here's what the observatory looked like in 2015 (image credit: Rubin Observatory/NSF/AURA)
Whoops 2017 not 2015!
Here's what it looks like today! Nearly there! Image Credit: Rubin Observatory/NSF/AURA
@megschwamb I imagine it's a pretty good logistical feat just to truck the concrete up there.
@1dalm Over Over 5,000 cubic meters of concrete had to be poured https://www.lsst.org/news/lsst-construction-%E2%80%93-above-ground-pach%C3%B3n
@megschwamb That volume of concrete is not that impressive.
That volume of concrete in that location is very impressive. Do you know if they had to procure a special mix for the altitude?
The telecon is about the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, which is going to find an order of magnitude more Solar System objects than we know of today!