University of Washington

This image combines 678 separate images taken by NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory in just over seven hours of observing time.

April 2026

Letter from the Director

This Spring at DiRAC we are watching something amazing blossom - and I don’t just mean the iconic Cherry Blossoms at the University of Washington, which were in peak bloom at the end of March this year! At the end of February, after nearly 20 years of development, the Rubin Observatory began its first phase of science. Real-time “Alerts” are now flowing from the Simonyi Survey Telescope in Chile, and being broadcast to astronomers around the world. It was a powerful and joyous moment, watching Prof. Eric Bellm and Dr. Ian Sullivan, showcase the very first alerts to the entire Rubin/LSST team.

Read the Director's Full Letter

Keep looking up!

James Davenport

Director, DiRAC Institute

INSTITUTE UPDATES

Meet DiRAC's Postdoctoral Fellow: Joseph Murtagh

I’m Joe, a new DiRAC Postdoctoral Fellow working within the solar system group at UW. I came from Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland, where my PhD focused on preparing for the LSST at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, modeling how many outer solar system objects like Centaurs and Neptune Trojans the survey will detect, and how well we’ll characterise them.

Joseph Murtagh, DiRAC Postdoctoral Fellow

DiRAC Annual Report 2025

Our 2025 Annual Report is now available, highlighting a remarkable year for DiRAC.

From new discoveries and major survey milestones to growing collaborations and student achievements, the report captures a year in review and celebrates the breadth of our community’s work. We encourage everyone to take a moment to reflect on the team’s accomplishments and the momentum we’ve built together.

Thank you to everyone whose contributions made 2025 such a successful year.

FEATURED EVENT

DiRAC Lecture & Planetarium Event | May 11, 2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us for DiRAC February planetarium event! It was wonderful to see such a great turnout.

We’re excited to host another DiRAC event, featuring an engaging lecture by Željko Ivezić, professor of astronomy at the University of Washington, Head of Rubin’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time and former Director of Rubin Observatory Construction.

Prof. Ivezic at the Rubin First Look Lecture in the Kane Hall at the UW, June 2025

Join us for an evening exploring Rubin science and the exciting discoveries ahead. We hope to see you there — register early to reserve your spot.

SCIENCE HIGHLIGHTS

UW Rubin Team: Brianna Smart, Eric Bellm, Ian Sullivan

Rubin launches real-time monitoring of the sky with thousands of alerts

The first Rubin real-time alert has arrived, the event was led by Prof. Eric Bellm joined by his team at the University of Washington. This milestone marks the beginning of a new era in time-domain astronomy, with rapid alerts enabling discoveries across the dynamic sky.

Lead author Andy Tzanidakis’ rendering of the planetary collision he suspects occurred around star Gaia20ehk in 2021.

UW astronomers collect rare evidence of two planets collidin

Led by Anastasios (Andy) Tzanidakis, University of Washington astronomers uncovered rare evidence of a dramatic collision between two planets 11,000 light-years away — a discovery made by analyzing years of archival telescope data.

An artist’s rendering of 2025 MN45 — the fastest-rotating asteroid with a diameter over 500 meters that scientists have ever found. Photo: NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory/NOIRLab/SLAC/AURA/P. Marenfeld

Ultra-fast rotating asteroids in the news

In October 2025, we shared the discovery of 19 ultra- to super-fast rotating asteroids among the first ~2,000 objects found with the NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, including the fastest spinning large asteroid yet, 2025 MN45. The results were published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, led by UW Astronomy researchers Sarah Greenstreet, Chester Li, Dmitrii Vavilov, Devanshi Singh, and collaborators. The discovery received broad coverage in the media!

A rendering of the inner solar system shows the asteroids discovered by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in light teal.

Early data from Rubin Observatory reveals over 11,000 new asteroids

Using preliminary data from the Simonyi Survey Telescope at the NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, scientists led by Prof. Mario Jurić and the Rubin solar system team at the University of Washington have discovered over 11,000 new asteroids in our solar system.

SUPPORT ASTRONOMY ON HUSKY GIVING DAY

Husky Giving Day - Powered by YOU 4.23.2026

Husky Giving Day is April 23, and we hope you will join us in making it the biggest day of giving yet! Your gift fuels our exploration of the cosmos, from the smallest planets to the most distant galaxies. It supports our community of students and faculty pursuing discovery through research, observation, and innovative teaching that advances understanding of the universe. And it helps us train the next generation of scientists and STEM leaders. Make a gift on Husky Giving Day, and power curiosity and collaboration in the Department of Astronomy.

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SUPPORT US

Your gifts make a difference!

DiRAC work — from outreach, education, to fundamental research — is made possible in no small part by contributions from supporters like you. Thank you for all of your past support; it has truly made a difference. As you consider your charitable donations this year, I hope you will consider supporting the work of DiRAC — enabling our students and postdocs to engage in the next generation of discovery!