Funds Awarded to Begin Construction of Large Synoptic Survey Telescope

The National Science Foundation has agreed to support the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy to manage the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope construction project, with a budget of up to $473 million. The announcement caps more than 10 years of developing, planning and reviewing of the LSST concept. "It's very gratifying to see NSF move forward with this funding," said J. Anthony Tyson, distinguished professor of physics at the University of California, Davis, and chief scientist for the LSST project. "LSST is the premiere instrument for exploring new physics, for exploring the 'dark sector' of the universe. It will let us explore the cosmos in a new way." Read more at UC Davis News.