The Vera C. Rubin Observatory was built with an ambitious purpose in mind. As part of its 10-year Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), the Rubin Observatory will gather about 30 petabytes of data. This will include creating an inventory of the Solar System, transient objects (such as supernovae and variable stars), and mapping the Milky Way. Using preliminary data gathered by the Observatory, scientists have already discovered 11,000 new asteroids in the Solar System. These results were confirmed by the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center (IAU-MPC).

This constitutes the largest single batch of asteroid discoveries in the past year. The discoveries were the result of 1 million observations spanning a month and a half, covering over 11,000 new asteroids and more than 80,000 already known asteroids. The new data was acquired as part of Rubin’s early optimization surveys and is a testament to Rubin’s sophisticated instruments. It also offers a preview of the impact Rubin will have on Solar System science once it begins the LSST campaign next year.

Mario Juric, a faculty member at the University of Washington and the Rubin Solar System Lead Scientist, explained in an official press release:

This first large submission after Rubin First Look is just the tip of the iceberg and shows that the observatory is ready. What used to take years or decades to discover, Rubin will unearth in months. We are beginning to deliver on Rubin’s promise to fundamentally reshape our inventory of the Solar System and open the door to discoveries we haven’t yet imagined.

*A rendering of the inner Solar System showing the asteroids discovered by Rubin in light teal. Known asteroids are dark blue. Credit: NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory/NSF NOIRLab/SLAC/AURA/R/NASA/Goddard/ESA/Gaia/DPAC*

The dataset includes 33 previously unknown near-Earth objects (NEOs), the largest of which measures about 500 meters (1640 ft) in diameter. This is especially significant given that some NEOs are classified as potentially hazardous objects (PHOs), those that could impact Earth in the future. None of the newly-discovered objects poses a threat to Earth. Once fully operational, Rubin is expected to reveal nearly 90,000 new NEOs, nearly doubling the number of known NEOs larger than 140 meters to around 70%, some of which may be PHOs. This will make Rubin a vital part of planetary defense.

The dataset also includes roughly 380 trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs), two of which have extremely large, elongated orbits. At their farthest point (periapsis), these two objects (provisionally named 2025 LS2 and 2025 MX348) are roughly 1000 times farther away from the Sun than Earth. This places them among the 30 most distant minor planets known. The newly discovered objects are a significant addition to the 5,000 TNOs discovered over the past three decades, representing a significant growth in the study of these icy, distant objects.

Former MPC Director Matthew Holman, a Senior Astrophysicist at the Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), spearheaded the work on the TNO discovery pipeline. “Searching for a TNO is like searching for a needle in a field of haystacks — out of millions of flickering sources in the sky, teaching a computer to sift through billions of combinations and identify those that are likely to be distant worlds in our Solar System required novel algorithmic approaches,” he said.

Along with Kevin Napier, a research scientist at the CfA, Holman developed the algorithms to detect distant Solar System objects with Rubin data. “Objects like these offer a tantalizing probe of the Solar System’s outermost reaches, from telling us how the planets moved early on in the Solar System’s history, to whether a hitherto undiscovered 9th large planet may still be out there,” he added.

Orbital distribution of 11,097 newly discovered asteroids from NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory’s Early Optimization Survey. Credit: NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory/NSF NOIRLab/SLAC/AURA/R/NASA/Goddard/ESA/Gaia/DPAC*

Ari Heinze, a research assistant at the University of Washington, built the software that enabled their detection with Jacob Kurlander, a graduate student at the University of Washington. As he noted:

Rubin’s unique observing cadence required a whole new software architecture for asteroid discovery. We built it, and it works. Even with just early, engineering-quality data, Rubin discovered 11,000 asteroids and measured more precise orbits for tens of thousands more. It seems pretty clear this observatory will revolutionize our knowledge of the asteroid belt.

The MPC’s verification of this large group of asteroids also means the entire scientific community can access the data, refine orbits, and begin analysis immediately. And these discoveries are just the beginning, given that the LSST hasn’t even started yet! Over the course of this ten-year survey, scientists expect Rubin to discover this many asteroids every two to three nights in the first few years. This will triple the census of known asteroids and increase the number of known TNOs by close to a factor of 10.

The discoveries were made possible by Rubin’s unique combination of a large mirror, its LSST digital camera (the largest ever built), and highly sophisticated software. These capabilities, along with the advanced data pipelines, are enabling the detection of faint, fast-moving objects in our Solar System. Rubin can survey the sky with roughly six times the sensitivity of most current asteroid searches, allowing it to detect smaller and more distant objects than ever before. This will improve our understanding of the Solar System and its evolutionary history.

People are encouraged to visit the Rubin Orbitviewer site and the Small Body Explorer to learn more about the newly discovered asteroids and interact with them virtually.

Further Reading: Rubin Observatory

Burglars struck two more homes in and around the San Fernando Valley this weekend, bringing the total to nine since April 11.

The latest in the string of recent burglaries occurred after Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced Friday that she had directed the Los Angeles Police Department to increase patrols along Ventura Boulevard.

Police have not determined whether the burglaries are connected.

Officers responded to a call Saturday night in Toluca Lake, where burglars are said to have gotten away with high-value items such as jewelry and cash. The LAPD also responded to a call early Sunday for a break-in at a home in the Hollywood Hills.

Around 9:45 p.m. Saturday, police responded to a call at a home in the 4900 block of Strohm Avenue. The burglars pried open a window to get into a room on the second floor. Officers responded to a second call about 3:30 a.m. at a home a few miles away in the 3100 block of Lake Hollywood Drive.

Details of what burglars stole from that home were not yet available Sunday morning.

In addition to the six Valley-area burglaries previously reported by The Times, police confirmed officers responded to a call at 11:37 p.m. April 15 at a home in the 12600 block of Herron Street in Sylmar. The back door was smashed and the home ransacked.

“I’ve directed the LAPD to strategically deploy resources along Ventura Boulevard and to continue making this area a priority by holding these criminals accountable,” Bass said in a statement Friday. “Residents deserve to feel safe in their communities, especially in their homes, and we will continue to deploy the resources necessary to keep people safe.”

Numerous break-ins near Ventura Boulevard

Four of the previous burglaries occurred within two miles of Ventura Boulevard, with one other occurring about three and a half miles away. Another house that was hit was about eight miles away.

The first burglary was reported on the evening of April 11 in Sherman Oaks, in the 13000 block of Davana Terrace, about a block away from Ventura Boulevard.

Police responded the next day to a home in the Hollywood Hills in the 7100 block of Macapa Drive, where a resident had entered the home around 9:30 p.m. and found multiple burglars inside. Officers said the burglars assaulted the resident, who suffered minor injuries.

On April 14, police responded to a home in Valley Village, in the 11700 block of Hesby Street, around 8:30 p.m. Then, less than an hour later, officers were called to a home in Valley Glen, in the 12700 block of Hatteras Street, about a mile and a half away. Police said the suspects fled before their arrival.

Another home in Valley Glen was targeted the next day, with police responding to a call at a house in the 6800 block of Vanscoy Avenue. Two people wearing gray hoodies broke in but had fled before officers arrived, according to LAPD.

On Thursday, police responded to a call in Granada Hills about three men wearing masks and black clothing having broken into a home in the 11900 block of Wood Ranch Road.

Additionally, “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody” star Dylan Sprouse encountered a trespasser at his Hollywood Hills home Friday. Sources familiar with the incident told The Times that Sprouse tackled a man on the lawn near his home after his wife, Victoria’s Secret model Barbara Palvin, spotted “the creepy guy.”

Police said the suspect taken in on outstanding warrants did not make it inside the couple’s 1920s Spanish-style home, only onto the property.

Mayor announces increased LAPD patrols

In addition to extra patrols, the LAPD is deploying more vehicles in high-visibility locations; using mobile license plate readers around high-risk burglary areas; using air support to conduct patrols; holding weekly burglary meetings with detectives; and collaborating with specialized divisions such as the Robbery Homicide Division and the Commercial Crimes Division “to investigate high-value loss burglaries” as part of Bass’ directive.

At least one of Bass’ opponents in the upcoming L.A. mayoral election has called out her latest move.

“Bass is just grandstanding to appear tough on crime when she claims to ‘order’ the Chief of Police to specifically direct police resources,” former reality TV star turned mayoral hopeful Spencer Pratt said in a Saturday post on X. “The City Charter is very clear and limits of authority of the Mayor in this regard. The Chief is solely responsible for the day to day operations of the police department.”

Bass has previously announced directives regarding strategic LAPD deployment, including in March after a brawl broke out in connection to a street takeover near upscale apartments in downtown.

Valley residents previously demanded increased LAPD action

Break-ins have shaken up San Fernando Valley residents over the last year.

Some residents last summer said they were afraid and angry after “American Idol” music supervisor Robin Kaye, 70, and her rock musician husband, Tom DeLuca, also 70, were killed in their Encino home by an intruder. Raymond Boodarian, 23, was charged with murder and burglary.

At the time, community leaders had asked Bass to increase security in the area following the deadly home invasion and a string of other break-ins.

The Hayvenhurst Avenue home of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Teddi Mellencamp was also targeted in July by three intruders who jumped a fence and entered the property.

Times staff writers Salvador Hernandez, Cierra Morgan, Dakota Smith, Emily St. Martin and Richard Winton contributed to this report.