Core Insights - The Vera C. Rubin Observatory, named after the American astronomer, is set to unveil more cosmic mysteries with its operations beginning by the end of this year [1][2] - The observatory, with a budget of $810 million, will utilize the world's largest digital camera to conduct groundbreaking missions in astronomy [2][3] Group 1: Observatory Features - The observatory features an 8.4-meter diameter telescope that can create panoramic images of the southern sky every three days [3] - It is equipped with the largest "Legacy Survey of Space and Time" (LSST) digital camera, boasting a resolution of 3.2 billion pixels, designed for wide-field, rapid, and deep imaging [3][5] - The LSST camera will generate approximately 20 terabytes of data each night, which is 350 times the daily data output of the James Webb Space Telescope [3] Group 2: Scientific Missions - The observatory aims to map the universe, track dark matter, discover millions of new solar system bodies, and provide early warnings for near-Earth objects [2][6] - It will explore the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy, potentially revealing the structure of the universe and the nature of these elusive components [6][8] - The observatory will also enhance understanding of the solar system and the Milky Way by identifying near-Earth asteroids and reconstructing the galaxy's evolutionary history [7][8] Group 3: Data Accessibility and Collaboration - All observational data, including calibration images and real-time alerts, will be made freely available to the global scientific community, promoting collaboration between professional and amateur astronomers [7][8] - The observatory's advanced software processing system will utilize statistical analysis and machine learning to identify anomalies in astronomical data, generating over 8 million alerts each night [5][6]