We're exploring the dazzling new images from the Vera C-Rubin Observatory this week on Planetary Radio.

I'm Sarah Al-Ahmed of the Planetary Society, with more of the human adventure across our solar system and beyond.

Today, we explore the first public release of images from the Vera Rubin Observatory and learn more about the powerful telescope behind them.

Stephanie Deppah, a planetary scientist and astronomy content strategist at Ruben Observatory,

joins us to explain how this

revolutionary facility works, what these first images reveal, and how Rubin will transform our

understanding of the universe over the next decade. Later in the show, we celebrate the observatory's

namesake, Vera Rubin. Jess Soto, who's the STEM Strategies coordinator at Mount Wilson Observatory and founder

of Science Women's shirts, shiggers how Rubin's scientific brilliance and advocacy for women in science

continue to shape and inspire future generations. And of course, we'll wrap things up with

what's up with our chief scientist, Bruce Betz, with a discussion of the third interstellar object ever

discovered, comet 3-Eye Atlas. If you love planetary radio and want to stay informed about the latest

space discoveries, make sure you hit that subscribe button on your favorite podcasting platform.

By subscribing, you'll never miss an episode filled with new and awe-inspiring ways to know the cosmos and are placed within it.

On June 23, 2025, the Vera C-Rubin Observatory released its first public images, offering a dazzling glimpse of the universe captured at an unprecedented scale.

In just over 10 hours of test observations, the telescope imaged millions of galaxies and stars,

and discovered over 2,100 never-before-seen asteroids.

These are the very first images shared with the public.

But behind the scenes, Ruben's team has been hard at work for months,

gradually bringing this next generation

observatory into focus, fine-tuning the systems and preparing for its official science mission.

Perched high in Chile's Cerro-Pachon, the Rubin Observatory is the product of more than two decades

...