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Rubin Observatory

Everyone's got that photobombing friend 🙄

Our all-sky camera monitors weather and clouds over the entire sky to help scientists with observations. But sometimes, it gets to monitor the local wildlife!

Right now, the all-sky camera is used for observations with the Auxiliary Telescope (and photos of birds, of course). Once Rubin is online, the all-sky camera's continuous cloud-mapping will help our automated survey software pick the best spot to point the telescope next!

the orange-yellow feet and black talons of a large bird dominate this all-sky view. The bird's body is white underneath, with hints of its black back visible. The all-sky view itself is a blue circle taking up most of the image, and we see everything as if from below. Compass markings show North to the right and rotated toward the left slightly.
a small bird with yellow body and black head stands to the lower right of this all-sky view with the sun visible overhead. The all-sky view itself is a blue circle taking up most of the image, and we see everything as if from below. Compass markings show North to the right and rotated toward the left slightly.
a small bird with white belly stands directly in the center of this all-sky view. The bird has thin, twig-like feet, and its beak just barely peak out over its belly. The all-sky view itself is a blue circle taking up most of the image, and we see everything as if from below. Compass markings show North to the right and rotated toward the left slightly.
a small gray bird stands to the right of this all-sky view with wispy, cotton ball clouds partially filling the sky. The bird's body has hints of its black back visible. The all-sky view itself is a circle taking up most of the image, and we see everything as if from below. Compass markings show North to the right and rotated toward the left slightly.
21 Mar 2023 at 16:00 | Open on astrodon.social
6 comments
Dr. Moutmout

@VRubinObs Oooh, these would be fun to turn into Stellarium landscapes ! 😁

21 Mar 2023 at 16:25 | Open on framapiaf.org
Chris Walter
Chris Walter

@VRubinObs

Speaking of which can any #bird watchers help me identify this bird? It may be the same yellow bird in the all sky camera. A noisy group of them were living in a pile of rocks next to the telescope when I took this picture on Nov 3rd.

This is in the foothills of the Chilean Andes inland from La Serena. Lat: -30.24 Long:-70.748 at 2627 meters.

I couldn't figure out whether it was a: Greenish Yellow-Finch, Greater Yellow-Finch, Bright Rumped Yellow Finch, or Puna Yellow-Finch.

A bright yellow bird sits on rocks in the Chilean Andes at the Rubin Observatory site.
A bright yellow bird sits on rocks in the Chilean Andes at the Rubin Observatory site.
A bright yellow bird sits on rocks in the Chilean Andes at the Rubin Observatory site.
21 Mar 2023 at 19:04 | Open on fediscience.org
Rubin Observatory

For those wondering what these birds are standing on, here is our all-sky camera viewed from outside!

Rubin Observatory's all-sky camera against a mostly cloudy sky. The camera is enclosed, not visible, under a half-sphere clear covering. The camera is mounted on top of two white metal cylinders. The top cylinder is smaller in diameter and shorter than the bottom cylinder.
21 Mar 2023 at 18:49 | Open on astrodon.social
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