The event brought together representatives from various organizations that own or operate astronomical projects in Chile, as well as from the research and education networks that provide the high-speed connectivity required for their operations.

On May 6 and 7, the South American-African Astronomy Coordination Committee (SA3CC) meeting was held in La Serena, Chile. This meeting is organized annually by AmLight (Americas-Africa Lightpaths Express and Protect), and on this occasion, hosted by REUNA.

The event brings together representatives from various organizations that own or operate astronomical projects in Chile, such as the Vera Rubin Observatory, NOIRLab-AURA, GMTO, CTAO, CCAT, Simons Observatory and NRAO-ALMA, with members of the research and education (R&E) networks that facilitate the high-speed connectivity required for their operation, including RNP (Brazil), RedCLARA (Latin America and the Caribbean), REUNA (Chile), AmLight, Internet2 and ESnet (United States).

“The SA3CC provides a venue for the astronomy projects (both optical and radio) and the R&E networks to exchange information and coordinate the network requirements of astronomy projects and institutions. This time, the astronomy projects focused on the science the observatories perform, and what the requirements of the R&E networks are to move their science data to data centers, normally in the U.S., where the data is analyzed and stored. For the R&E networks, the themes focused on what improvements or changes have been made to each network since the previous SA3CC meeting. Also, the R&E networks report on the instrumentation to measure the movement of the science data on the network, and the tools to detect if there are any events on the R&E networks that could impact the movement of the science data. explained Julio Ibarra, research professor at Florida International University (FIU) and principal investigator of AmLight.

For his part, Albert Astudillo, REUNA’s Technology Manager, stated that “for REUNA, hosting this event represents recognition of the key role we play, as the national research and education network, in the country’s scientific ecosystem. Chile is a natural platform for global astronomy, and our job is to ensure that the data generated by these large telescopes can travel efficiently, safely, and without interruption to processing and analysis centers around the world. This advanced connectivity not only enhances the development of astronomy but also paves the way for new opportunities for international collaboration in science and technology.”

Observing the cosmos in real time

In addition to the SA3CC meeting, the Rubin Observatory Network Engineering Team (Rubin Observatory NET Meeting) was held on May 8 and 9. “This meeting is more technical and focuses specifically on the connectivity services that the Rubin Observatory requires from the R&E networks,” Ibarra explained.

Located atop Cerro Pachón in Chile, the NSF-DOE Vera Rubin Observatory features the world’s largest digital camera and, once operational, will generate 20 terabytes of raw images each night. Just 7 seconds after each photograph is taken, the images must be transferred from the telescope to the U.S. Data Facility (USDF) at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in Menlo Park, California via the Long-Haul Network (LHN). The LHN is a conduit connecting the summit to SLAC, built on multiple advanced networks: the Vera Rubin network, REUNA, AmLight, ESnet, SLAC, rednesp, RedCLARA, Florida LambdaRail, and Internet2. This is a global collaboration, where communication between systems, organizations, and people is crucial.

“The REUNA contribution to the NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory and its LHN has been and will continue to be critical. Our REUNA colleagues are outstanding and responsive to our science goals. Reliable networks are a key part of delivering Rubin science. This collaboration continues the long and successful collaboration of the AURA Observatories in Chile with their Chilean colleagues. I am confident the collaboration will grow and become more productive yet in the future” said Bob Blum, Director of Operations at the Rubin Observatory.

Similarly, Inder Monga, executive director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s dedicated science network, Energy Sciences Network (ESnet), and director of the Scientific Networking Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), highlighted the importance of teamwork and coordination among the institutions that make up the Long-Distance Network. “Ensuring consistent sub-seven-second data delivery from Chile to SLAC is paramount. Together, we must fine-tune our networks, monitoring systems, and operational protocols to guarantee this performance before the observatory reaches full operations”. To achieve this, he noted, it is essential to establishing seamless handoff procedures, troubleshooting workflows, and communication channels across all involved organizations. “ESnet’s attendance at this meeting allows us to collaborate on establishing robust technical and operational protocols necessary for the observatory’s full operational launch later this year” Monga stated.

Once this megaproject is operational, “the main challenge for the Vera C. Rubin Observatory will be delivering reliable data to the science community every clear minute of every clear night, month after month, year after year. The amount of data, speed of processing, and quality of the images required means we need to operate flawlessly and reliably from the summit to the long-haul network to our processing centers in California, the UK, and France. Once we start, we don’t stop. It takes a massive group of dedicated support staff, scientists, engineers, and a community of collaborators willing to work hard and together” Blum concluded.

About the Vera Rubin Observatory:

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science, is a revolutionary new astronomical and astrophysical observatory being built on Cerro Pachón, Chile, with first light planned for late 2025. It is named after astronomer Vera Rubin, who provided the first convincing evidence for the existence of dark matter. Using the largest digital camera ever built, Rubin will take detailed images of the sky for ten years, creating an ultra-wide, ultra-high-definition time-lapse record of our Universe. https://rubinobservatory.org/

About ESnet:

The Energy Sciences Network (ESnet) is the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) only high-performance network user facility, delivering highly reliable data transport capabilities optimized for the requirements of large-scale science. ESnet acts as the primary circulatory system for DOE science, interconnecting the DOE’s 17 national laboratories, 28 user facilities, and more than 270 research and education (R&E) and commercial networks around the world. It does so via a highly specialized, continuously evolving networking infrastructure as well as software-driven services. ESnet enables tens of thousands of DOE scientists and their global collaborators to transfer vast data streams and access remote research resources quickly and reliably as they tackle some of the world’s most important scientific challenges related to energy. https://www.es.net/

About REUNA:

The National University Network (REUNA) is Chile’s National Research and Education Network (NREN) and is currently comprised of more than 50 institutions, including universities, research centers, and international astronomy groups. REUNA’s digital network spans 15 regions, from Arica to Punta Arenas, and aims to include all regions of the country. It is also interconnected with its international peers in Latin America (RedCLARA), North America (Internet2 and Canarie), Europe (GÉANT), Asia (APAN), and Oceania (AARNET). https://www.reuna.cl/