This image captures a small section of NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s view of the Virgo Cluster, offering a vivid glimpse of the variety in the cosmos. Visible are two prominent spiral galaxies, three merging galaxies, galaxy groups both near and distant, stars within our own Milky Way, and much more.
NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory recently released its breathtaking first images, opening a new era for deep-sky exploration. Originally called the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), Rubin will build an unprecedented dataset of the universe, a collection of wide-field images of the night sky taken every few nights for ten years!
What many may not realize is that tucked behind these astonishing images is the quiet work of precision metrology, and AOM is proud to have played a key role in all three mirrors and the corrector lenses.
A Mirror Like No Other
The telescope itself uses three large mirrors, but the primary (first reflection) and tertiary (third reflection) mirrors are manufactured onto a single lightweight piece of glass—an extraordinary engineering feat.
AOM co-founder Dr. Jim Burge was deeply involved in the mirror’s design, fabrication, and metrology while at the University of Arizona’s Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab.
AOM co-founder Dr. Chunyu Zhao supported the metrology by providing three different computer-generated holograms (CGHs): one to certify the PM null lens, and two more for directly testing and certifying the tertiary mirror.
Scanning the Sky’s Convex Eye
The convex 3.4 m diameter M2 mirror mated to its active cell and mounted in the metrology tower ready for testing.
The giant convex secondary mirror presented its own unique challenge. It was tested at L3Harris (formerly Exelis) using a custom-built scanning and stitching interferometer developed by Cormic Merle, now Director of Metrology Systems at AOM in Rochester.
William J. Gressler, Douglas R. Neill, John Bagnasco, Paul J. Lotz, Dave Mills, Mike Warner, Oliver Wiecha, Gregory N. Bogan, James M. Ellis, Dale C. Zajac, Steven A. Szklany, Ronald T. Broccolo, Malcolm N. O’Sullivan, Frank A. Carbone, Cormic K. Merle, “LSST secondary mirror assembly,” Proc. SPIE 10700, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes VII, 1070019 (6 July 2018); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2311316
The system collected 480 measurements using a 27-inch CGH, a 40-inch transmission flat, and a massive collimator—all rotating around the suspended mirror to build a full-aperture map, resolving details as small as 3 mm (>600 cycles/aperture).
Cormic led the development of the system, but he’s quick to note that the project wouldn’t have been possible without the critical contributions of current AOM Senior Project Manager Melissa Ryczek, who operated the test setup and processed much of the data as an Optical Technician at the time. “If it weren’t for her, I’d probably still be there processing the data,” he said. “She was my right hand.”
World’s Largest Contact Lenses
The Rubin camera includes two massive lenses—measuring over 1.6 and 1.2 meters in diameter and just over 82 mm and 30 mm thick—earning them the nickname “the world’s largest contact lenses.”
These optics were fabricated, measured, and assembled at Arizona Optical Systems (AOS), co-founded by Jim Burge. Computer-generated holograms from AOM were used to measure the surfaces of the lenses, the lens alignment in the carbon fiber cell, and the final transmitted wavefront for the assembly.
From Holograms to the Heavens—and Beyond
RubinObs/NOIRLab/SLAC/DOE/NSF/AURA/H. Stockebrand
At AOM, we’re honored to have contributed to the Rubin Observatory—a project that exemplifies what’s possible when precision engineering meets astronomical ambition. The same expertise that supports billion-dollar, one-of-a-kind instruments is available to help our customers tackle demanding optical challenges of their own.
Our team brings deep, hands-on experience in optical metrology—from designing CGHs for massive telescope mirrors to aligning ultra-thin lenses with micron precision. Today, we’re applying that knowledge to commercial and research applications where the technical stakes are just as high, but the budgets and timelines are often much tighter.
Want to learn how computer-generated holograms or other products from AOM can streamline your next large optics project? Explore our custom CGH and optical alignment capabilities or contact us to get started.