Željko Ivezić – A New View of the Universe
Vera Rubin: A New View of the Universe
On 11 September 2026 at 6:00 PM, the Croatian Natural History Museum will host one of Croatia’s most distinguished astronomers, Prof. Željko Ivezić, Professor at the University of Washington in Seattle and the scientist who led the construction of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, one of the most ambitious astronomical projects of our time.
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory marks the beginning of a new era in astronomy. Equipped with the world’s largest digital astronomical camera, it will continuously survey the southern sky for ten years, creating the most comprehensive time-lapse record of the Universe ever produced. The project will catalogue tens of billions of celestial objects, discover millions of new asteroids, monitor supernovae and other transient phenomena, and provide unprecedented insights into dark matter, dark energy, and the structure and evolution of the Milky Way.
Prof. Ivezić is internationally recognized as one of the world’s leading experts in observational astronomy and large astronomical data sets. His leadership in the development of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory has earned worldwide recognition, and we are especially proud that a Croatian scientist has played such a pivotal role in one of the greatest scientific endeavours of the 21st century.
During the lecture, “Vera Rubin: A New View of the Universe,” visitors will gain first-hand insight into how groundbreaking astronomical discoveries are made, learn about the observatory’s first scientific results, and discover how its observations will transform our understanding of the Universe in the years ahead.
Prof. Ivezić recently discussed the Vera C. Rubin Observatory with renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson on the popular StarTalk podcast, highlighting the observatory’s extraordinary scientific potential and its future impact on astronomy.
Please note that the lecture will be delivered in Croatian.
🎟 Admission is free, but registration is required due to limited seating.
Register here