Washington DC, June 6 -- A group of astronomers from across the globe, including a team from the University of Washington and led by Queen's University Belfast, have revealed new research showing that millions of new solar system objects will be detected by a brand-new facility, which is expected to come online later this year.

The NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory is set to revolutionise the knowledge of the solar system's "small bodies" -- asteroids, comets and other minor planets.

The Rubin Observatory, under construction on the Cerro Pachon ridge in northern Chile, features the 8.4-meter Simonyi Survey Telescope with a unique three-mirror design capable of surveying the entire visible sky every few nights.

At its heart is the world...