Rider U. Partners With Revolutionary Space Observatory To Map Universe

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ - The universe just became a little less mysterious. In June, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory delivered its first glimpse into what promises to be the most comprehensive mapping of space ever undertaken—detailed images of distant galaxies, glowing nebulas, and thousands of previously unknown asteroids captured in just 10 hours of observation.

Now Rider University has joined the global effort behind this groundbreaking project. As a member of the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) Discovery Alliance, Rider joins approximately 30 institutions worldwide committed to supporting the observatory's ambitious 10-year mission while opening new research pathways for students.

Dr. John Bochanski, associate professor and chair of Rider's Department of Computer Science and Physics, has been connected to this project since his graduate studies at the University of Washington over 15 years ago.

"Now that Rubin is functional and working well, it's a very exciting time," Bochanski said. "There is certainly Nobel Prize-winning potential for this project, which was designed to go after the biggest questions in physics."

Perched atop a mountain in Chile, the Rubin Observatory will scan the entire visible sky every few nights for a decade. Its centerpiece—the world's largest digital camera, roughly the size of a Mini Cooper with 3.2 billion pixels of resolution—will create an unprecedented ultra-high-definition time-lapse record of our universe.

The resulting data treasure trove could unlock answers to some of cosmology's greatest puzzles. Scientists anticipate discoveries about dark energy, the mysterious force accelerating the universe's expansion, and dark matter, the theoretical substance that may explain how galaxies maintain their structure. The observatory might even help locate a potential ninth planet lurking in the outer reaches of our solar system.

"There are signs that there might be another planet out there, and if it is, Rubin should be able to see it," Bochanski explained. "That would change how we place ourselves in a galactic context."

Bochanski, who led a team in 2015 that discovered the most distant stars ever observed in the Milky Way, is particularly excited about LSST's commitment to data accessibility. Unlike many major scientific projects, Rubin's findings will be available to researchers at institutions of all sizes.

"I'll be recruiting undergrads to help with research, and for Rider students interested in data analysis, this will be a great tool," Bochanski said. "They will have access to the same data served up to top-tier researchers. One of the great things about Rubin is that they've put a lot of effort into making sure that many different universities can get involved."

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