LSST:UK Newsletter 63 (February 2026)
Introduction
This month saw a major milestone for the Rubin LSST and for LSST:UK: Rubin started issuing alerts (see right) and the Lasair broker started ingesting them by the million with an ease that belied the technical challenge the team faced in scaling up by more than order of magnitude from the ZTF alert stream that they used to prototype the broker system. The whole Lasair team – @Gareth Francis, @Andy Lawrence and @Roy Williamsin Edinburgh, @Stephen Smartt, @Ken Smith and @Heloise Stevance in Oxford and @Dave Young at QUB – deserve our heartiest congratulations, and I hope that they will tell us their side of this story in next month’s Newsletter.
As @Graham Smith notes below, plans for our 2026 All-Hands Meeting to be held in Manchester in April are taking shape, with Monday, 2 March the deadline for submission of abstracts for contributed talks and suggestions for discussion topics. For the first time, we are holding a meeting in conjunction with our friends and colleagues in Euclid-UK, with a joint day between the two consortium meetings to discuss synergies between the two surveys. The cosmologists amongst you may want to stay on in northern England for the First Ox & Lancs Colloquium, which is taking place at the University of Lancashire the following week.
Many of you will, I am sure, have been aching for news of the 2025/26 LSST:UK Fantasy Premier League, which, like the real Prem, has been dominated from the outset by a London team: @Alan Heavens' Metropolis took an early lead and has sustained a level of performance than none have equalled. My own Athletico Bob team had just about kept them within sight until a series of disastrous tactical decisions over the key festive period sent them tumbling down our league, so Alan’s principal competition are now @Philip Wiseman and @Eduardo Toledo, with @Behnood Bandi, @Terry Sloan and @Andrés Ponte Pérez contributing to a tight fight for what would be the Champions League places…and providing light relief from STFC funding worries.
@Bob Mann
Credit: NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory/NOIRLab/SLAC/AURA Acknowledgement: Alert images with classifications provided by ALeRCE and Lasair.
A visit to Seattle to work on Rubin Data Validation
January saw me heading across the Atlantic to Seattle for ten days, visiting colleagues at the University of Washington as part of our ongoing work on the Rubin Observatory processing pipelines.
A key part of my role within the Rubin collaboration is the assessment of the quality of the data as it passes through the processing pipelines. Even at this relatively early stage, the sheer volume of data coming out of the survey means that simply looking at outputs by eye is no longer feasible — we're already well past the point where any human could keep on top of it manually. That makes robust, automated quality monitoring not just useful but essential, and it's something the team has been actively developing for years. We already have a wide range of tools and metrics for characterising the data as it moves through the pipelines – the challenge we came together to tackle in Seattle was a subtly different one: not how to monitor the data, but how to make sure the right people are made aware of problems as soon as they arise.
That distinction matters. It's one thing to have metrics that can reveal when something is going wrong; it's another to have a system that proactively flags issues in real time rather than waiting for someone to go looking. The trip was specifically focused on brainstorming ideas and developing prototypes for exactly this kind of alerting system – one that catches cases where key metrics drift systematically away from expected thresholds, rather than outright pipeline failures, which tend to be obvious enough. After working through various approaches, we landed on a solution that uses automated Slack posts to alert the team whenever something goes awry – simple but effective, and something the whole collaboration already has easy access to.
I was primarily working with Colin Slater who is based at the University of Washington, and we were joined by Sophie Reed travelling over from Princeton, which made for a particularly productive few days. But with the University of Washington being one the lead US institutes for pipeline development, I also had the chance to meet with many other members of the team who I often see on video calls, but rarely meet in person. It's easy to underestimate how much you get out of spending time with colleagues in person rather than on a video call, and this trip was a good reminder of that.
On a personal note, I was really impressed with Seattle as a city. I'd heard the weather in January can be pretty damp, but the sun was out for much of my trip, giving me some spectacular views of Mount Rainier on the horizon. A welcome bonus on top of an already enjoyable visit. I came away with concrete plans, a clearer shared vision for how automated notifications will fit into the collaboration's workflows, and a very high opinion of Seattle!
@James Mullaney
Junior Associates Network update
Here are a few short updates from the LSST:UK Junior Associates Network (JAN) – a network organised by junior associates for junior associates.
JANEC Elections
We would like to remind everyone that the first election for members of the JAN Executive Committee (JANEC) is coming up. This election is for three positions within the JANEC: one co-chair and two board representatives. The details of these positions, and of the election cycle, can be found on the Wiki. Nominations are open until Friday 6 March, so if you have anyone in mind (including yourself!) who you think would be suitable for either role then please put their name forward by filling in this form. Members of the JAN will be able to vote for their choice among the nominees between Monday 9 March and Friday 20 March.
JANOC Membership
As detailed in last month’s newsletter, in addition to the JANEC we also have the JAN Organising Committee (JANOC), which is a less formal body comprising all members of the JANEC (by default) and any number of volunteers wishing to help keep the JAN operating functionally. If you are interested in helping to run the JAN in a capacity besides those of the JANEC (e.g. keeping track of membership, updating the Wiki, managing the Slack, organising online workshops and talks) then please contact either of our current JANEC chairs, Clara Pennock (cpennock@roe.ac.uk) and Tom Wilson (T.J.Wilson@exeter.ac.uk). We are always happy to welcome new volunteers!
Communications training for JAN members
Just a reminder that Eleanor O’Kane will be delivering two 55-minute sessions on Communications training for members of the JAN, to be held on Tuesday 5 March and Tuesday 12 March at 13:00–13:55. More details and a sign-up form are available below for anyone who is interested.
Weekly JAN hangout on Slack
To facilitate communication between members of the JAN, we have introduced a weekly ‘hangout’ in the #jan-random channel on Slack, at 9:30–10:30 am every Friday. The idea is for members to share any updates they may have on their work, ask any questions they may have about LSST, or even just to say ‘hi’. We encourage members to make use of this whenever time allows, to help us build a sense of community within the JAN and to give us insight into the fantastic work that people are involved in. If you are not in this Slack channel and would like to be, please contact James Robinson (james.robinson@ed.ac.uk).
Additional information
More information on the JAN can be found on the Wiki, including sign-up forms for the mailing list, details of the various Slack channels available to JAs in the LSST:UK workspace, and minutes from the meetings of the JAN leadership team.
@Thomas Cornish, Steve Ardern, @Garreth Martin, @Clara Pennock, Andres Ponte Perez, @James Robinson, @Matthew Temple, @Andrew Wilson, @Tom J Wilson
Key dates for the LSST:UK All Hands Meeting
Registration is now open for the following meetings, all of which will be hosted by the University of Manchester (Schuster Building) in April.
13-14 April – LSST:UK All Hands Meeting 2026
15 April – Inaugural Joint Euclid/LSST UK Meeting
15 April – Lasair Users Meeting (afternoon only)
15 April – Joint Euclid/LSST UK dinner (evening)
These meetings are open to everyone, regardless of whether you have Rubin/LSST data rights (or are a Euclid member, for the joint meeting on the 15th).
Full details, including registration and abstract submission forms are available at the meetings web-site
Meeting aims
The broad aim across the meetings is to help everyone (including those completely new to Rubin/LSST) to achieve early science results in 2026. All three meetings will therefore be highly interactive, with plenty of discussion, hand-on sessions, and opportunity to meet new people.
We therefore encourage everyone to submit abstracts for discussion topics and hands-on sessions, as appropriate across the meetings. A limited amount of time will also be available for contributed talks of general interest across the community. We particularly encourage abstract submissions from Early Career Researchers and those who identify as part of an under-represented group.
Euclid members will also be receiving an email with details of the Euclid UK Annual Meeting, that will take place 16-17 April also in Manchester. LSST:UK colleagues who are also Euclid members are encouraged to join the Euclid UK meeting as well.
Key registration / submission dates
These dates are unified across the meetings:
2 March – Deadline for submission of discussion topic, hands-on session, and talk abstracts
9 March – Announcement of programme
13 March – Deadline for registration
13 March – Deadline to apply for LSST:UK and Euclid UK travel funds to support meeting attendance
We are looking forward to many of you joining us for what promises to be a very productive and exciting week in April!
@Graham Smith
On behalf of the Joint Euclid/LSST UK Meeting SOC, the LSST:UK All-hands Meeting 2026 SOC, the Lasair Users Meeting SOC, and the LOC.
Oxford’s Rubin contribution explained
A new article on the University of Oxford website highlights the many ways scientists at the university are contributing to Rubin.
The connection was formally cemented in 2014, when Professor Roger Davies became the first Director of the Hintze Centre for Astrophysical Surveys at Oxford. Through the Centre he established Oxford as a partner in the LSST.
Get perspectives on Rubin from Professor Davies and many others who are making contributions to Rubin and the LSST, including @Aprajita Verma @Chris Lintott @Farrukh Azfar @Heloise @Jeff Tseng @Matt Jarvis @Stephen Smartt . The feature also explains how Oxford researchers have contributed to Rubin construction from an early stage, beginning with testing and calibration of the 189 Charge-Coupled Device detectors, overseen by the late Professor Ian Shipsey, former Head of the Department of Physics, and @Daniel Philip Weatherill .
Read the feature on Oxford Pulse
Communications news
Training for the Junior Associates Network
In March we’re running online communications training for the JA Network, sharing tips and tools for communicating your work effectively. These insights can help your work gain visibility, even if you’re not interested in public engagement. For example, they can enhance how you write presentations, LinkedIn posts and even funding applications.
Over two 55-minute lunchtime sessions, Eleanor O’Kane, LSST:UK Communications Officer, will share good practice for effective science communication. Session one covers the basics; it can be attended as a single session and provides lots of great tips for sharing your work. For those who wish to develop further skills, a follow-up session will provide more insights and inspiration.
Thursday 5 March 2025; 13.00-13.55
Session 1: The basics of science communication for researchers (55 mins)
This introductory session will help you focus on what you’re trying to say and how to ensure it's right for the target audience.
Why it’s not about us – it’s about the audience
How to plan attention-grabbing messages
Ways to encourage media interest in your work
Thursday 12 March 2025; 13.00-13.55
Session 2: Science communication for researchers - next steps (55 mins)
An additional session for anyone who wishes to gain deeper insights and get more inspiration for science communication.
Simple ways to enhance your message
How we absorb information on screen and how to adapt your communication
Appealing to wider audiences
How to enrol
Sign up at the webform: Science communications training for the Junior Associates Network – Fill in form
In the Spotlight this month
As the Lasair team (and our wider group) celebrate the successful launch of the broker, we catch up with Héloïse Stevance and revisit our interview with Roy Williams – both are part of the team that have worked hard to make Lasair a success.
Learn how quickly Héloïse was able to eyeball 40k early Rubin triplets (reference, target, difference) to classify them as real or bogus, and find out what Roy thinks is the best thing about working on the LSST.
Access all the team interviews on the website.
@Eleanor O'Kane
Recent LSST:UK Science Centre outputs
The LSST:UK Science Centre has recently produced the following technical reports.
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D3.4.2 Testing on LSST data | A. Watkins, S. Kaviraj, C. Collins | To avoid systematic over-subtraction of low surface brightness (LSB) flux in LSST images, the authors recommended at the end of LSST:UK Phase B that the survey uses their existing skyCorr sky estimation software without running its third step, a local background estimate called bgModel2. Using precursor Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam data, the authors found that this step systematically over-subtracts the outskirts of injected mock galaxies with diameters equal to or larger than its bin size (256 pixels) irrespective of other mock galaxy parameters (brightness or light concentration). The current version of skyCorr, written now to process LSSTCam images, compromises with the authors' recommendation, balancing LSB flux preservation with normative requirements regarding point source photometric quality. While it still includes the bgModel2 step, the bin size used in that step is now 4096 pixels, or ~13.6′. To verify that the behaviour previously demonstrated is unchanged, the authors have repeated their Phase B experiments by injecting mock sources into LSSTCam images and processing them through various configurations of the current (LSST Science Pipelines v.12.0.0) pipeline. As expected, the authors find that objects with sizes equal to or larger than the bin size used in bgModel2 are systematically over-subtracted under the current pipeline as well. As objects with angular sizes >13.6′ are rare (limited to very local Universe galaxies, nearby intracluster light, and Galactic cirrus), the authors find this compromise acceptable for preserving most LSB science targets in the survey images. | |
D3.7.5 4MOST Long-Term Scheduler | @Chris Frohmaier | This deliverable is designed to exert an LSST influence on the 4MOST survey strategy through a mechanism called the “Long Term Scheduler” (LTS). The LTS is a 4MOST-developed method of assigning weights to given tiles when deciding where to observe on the sky. The LTS is used within 4MOST to add a weather model and exploit early science opportunities. | |
LUSC-C-32 | D3.7.2 Software to classify TiDES transient spectra | @Chris Frohmaier | This deliverable presents a web app that allows for the classification of TiDES spectra (and, indeed, any spectra). This tool is designed to enable the manual manipulation and inspection of spectra so that classification tools, such as SNID, can be re-run and the outputs directly piped into the TiDES database. |
Forthcoming meetings of interest
Dates, locations and links… The current list of forthcoming meetings is always available on the Relevant Meetings page. You may also wish to check information held on the LSST organisation website LSST-organised events and the LSST Corporation website.
Dates | Meeting Title / Event | Meeting Website/ Contact | Meeting venue/ location |
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23/Feb/26 – 27/Feb/26 | DESC Collaboration Meeting | Virtual | |
13/Apr/26 – 17/Apr/26 | LSST:UK All Hands Meeting 13–14 April, co-located with Euclid UK Annual Meeting April 16–17, April, with joint day on 15 April | University of Manchester, Manchester, UK | |
25/May/2026 – 28/May/2026 | LSST AGN Science Collaboration meeting | Heraklion, Greece | |
22/Jun/26 – 26/Jun/26 | Galaxies Science Collaboration Meeting | Paris, France | |
29/Jun/26 – 03/Jul/26 | European Astronomical Society Annual Meeting (inc. SS27 "The Vera Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time: from data previews to full survey operation") | Lausanne, Switzerland | |
27/Jul/26 – 31/Jul/26 | Rubin Community Workshop 2026 | TBC | SLAC, Menlo Park, California, USA. |
28/Sep/26 – 02/Oct/26 | LSST@Europe 8 | TBC | Budapest, Hungary |
Members of the Consortium (not in receipt of travel funding through one of the Science Centre grants) may apply for travel support for meetings of this kind via the LSST:UK Pool Travel Fund. Details are available at Forthcoming LSST-related Meetings
If you have significant news or announcements that are directly relevant to LSST:UK and would like to share them in a future newsletter, contact @Eleanor O'Kane (email eokane@roe.ac.uk)