Telescopes of the Future

New instruments for observing the sky offer opportunities for discoveries that could transform our understanding of physics and our perception of humanity’s place in the Universe. The most ambitious research initiatives involve hundreds or even thousands of scientists from multiple countries and span many years. Researchers from the Astronomical Observatory of the University of Warsaw are participating in several major projects, including some that are currently constructed or planned. Such engagement ensures that a high level of scientific research will be maintained in the coming decades.

Vera C. Rubin Observatory
Located in the Chilean Andes at an altitude of about 2,650 meters above sea level, it houses an 8.4-meter telescope that will begin regular observations of the entire sky in 2025, continuing for at least 10 years. The goal is to study key components of the Universe, such as dark energy and dark matter. Observations will allow researchers to examine the structure of the Universe, the evolution of galaxies, stellar populations in our Milky Way, and to search for small bodies in the Solar System, including near-Earth objects and bodies beyond Neptune’s orbit. The Astronomical Observatory UW, together with other Polish astronomical institutions, will have full and direct access to the data collected by this observatory.

Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope
This NASA satellite is similar to the Hubble Space Telescope, but will feature a camera with a field of view 100 times larger than Hubble’s. The Roman Space Telescope will conduct three major sky surveys: two focusing on cosmology and one dedicated to exoplanet research. The exoplanet survey will use the gravitational microlensing method, in which Warsaw astronomers are world-class leaders. The planned launch is late 2026 or early 2027.

Einstein Telescope (ET)
The ET is the first underground, next-generation European gravitational-wave observatory, included in the 2021 European Roadmap for Research Infrastructures. With its extremely high sensitivity, it will enable groundbreaking discoveries. ET will detect all stellar-mass black hole mergers in the Universe, study the interiors of neutron stars, test general relativity, investigate the earliest moments of the Universe, and address many other fundamental questions in astrophysics, cosmology, and fundamental physics. ET represents not only tremendous scientific potential but also a significant challenge for industry, technology, and sustainable development. Observations are expected to begin no earlier than 2035. The Astronomical Observatory UW plays a leading role in its development, including studying optimal locations, contributing to technology transfer, and analyzing astrophysical sources of gravitational waves for ET.