NOIRLab

Press Releases

Science Release: 7 April 2021 — noirlab2114

Caught Speeding: Clocking the Fastest-Spinning Brown Dwarfs

Astronomers at Western University have discovered the most rapidly rotating brown dwarfs known. They found three brown dwarfs that each complete a full rotation roughly once every hour. That rate is so extreme that if these “failed stars” rotated any faster, they could come close to tearing themselves apart. Identified by NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope, the brown dwarfs were then studied by ground-based telescopes including Gemini North, which confirmed their surprisingly speedy rotation.

Science Release: 6 April 2021 — noirlab2113

Black Hole Pairs Found in Distant Merging Galaxies

Astronomers have found two close pairs of quasars in the distant Universe. Follow-up observations with Gemini North spectroscopically resolved one of the distant quasar pairs, after their discovery with the Hubble Space Telescope and Gaia spacecraft. These quasars are closer together than any pair of quasars found so far away, providing strong evidence for the existence of supermassive black hole pairs as well as crucial insight into galaxy mergers in the early Universe.

Photo Release: 16 March 2021 — noirlab2112

Unrivaled View of Galaxy Messier 106

This spectacular image highlights the majestic spiral galaxy Messier 106 and its diminutive neighbors, as well as a dense field of background galaxies and foreground stars. This may be the best view yet of Messier 106 in its entirety, showing both the warped central disk and the tenuous outer reaches of the galaxy.

Organization Release: 15 March 2021 — noirlab2111

Explore the Universe during AstroDay–Chile

AstroDay–Chile’s annual astronomy education festival will take place entirely online in Spanish for the first time in 2021, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 2007, AstroDay has provided unique opportunities for the public to engage with the scientists and staff who work at the most important observatories in Chile. This year’s event takes place from 17 to 19 March 2021 and all activities are free to engage with online.

Organization Release: 4 March 2021 — noirlab2110

MAROON-X Embarks on its Exoplanet Quest

Astronomers using the recently installed instrument MAROON-X on Gemini North have determined the mass of a transiting exoplanet orbiting the nearby star Gliese 486. As well as putting the innovative new instrument through its paces, this result, when combined with data from the TESS satellite, precisely measures key properties of a rocky planet that is ideal for follow-up observations with the next generation of ground- and space-based telescopes.

Coronavirus COVID-19 Measures at NOIRLab

As COVID-19 continues to spread globally, NOIRLab is actively responding to the situation and taking measures to ensure the safety of its staff and the public.

Announcements

6 April 2021 — ann21018

ACEAP Alumna Selected as Astronaut for SpaceX

Sian Procter, a participant in the Astronomy in Chile Educator Ambassadors Program (ACEAP) in 2016, has been selected as an astronaut by SpaceX. The Inspiration4 mission, scheduled to launch sometime after 15 September 2021, will orbit Earth for three ...

6 April 2021 — ann21017

Take a Walk Through the Solar System at Waimea, Hawaiʻi

The annual Waimea Solar System Walk is taking place this year from 15 March to 15 April 2021 as an in-person/virtual hybrid event in the town of Waimea on Hawai‘i Island, with some adjustments to accommodate COVID-19 safety measures.

The self-guided ...

31 March 2021 — ann20002

Coronavirus COVID-19 Measures at NOIRLab

As COVID-19 continues to spread globally, NOIRLab is actively responding to the situation and taking measures to ensure the safety of its staff and the public. We are currently not hosting visitors to the summit or base facilities.

Update Mar. 31, 202...

25 March 2021 — ann21016

More than 2000 Participants in NOIRLab’s Virtual Astronomy Day Events in Chile

More than 2000 people participated in the online activities that formed part of NSF’s NOIRLab’s AstroDay–Chile 2021 event last week, contributing to an annual astronomical fair known as Astronomy Day that brings together the most important scientific a...

25 March 2021 — ann21015

AURA First Observatory in Chile to Receive Certification for Preventive Management of COVID-19

On 18 March 2021 AURA, which operates NSF’s NOIRLab and its Programs in Chile, the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) and the international Gemini Observatory, became the first observatory in Chile to obtain the “COVID-19 Seal” from the Chi...

23 March 2021 — rubinann21005

Rubin Digest 23 March 2021

Project & Science News

The first completed filter for the Rubin Observatory LSST Camera has arrived at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. The r-band filter was delivered to SLAC on March 12th, marking an exciting milestone for the LSST Camera ...

23 March 2021 — ann21014

First LSST Camera Filter Arrives at SLAC

The first completed filter for the Rubin Observatory LSST Camera has arrived at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory! The r-band filter was delivered to SLAC on 12 March 2021, marking an exciting milestone for the LSST Camera team.

The r-band filter...

18 March 2021 — ann21013

Screenshot of the NOIRLab/IPAC/ESA/STScI/CfA FITS Liberator version 4

Upgrading Our Views of the Universe

Astronomy is predominantly a visual science. However, an important tool is needed to produce breathtaking color images from the observations made with telescopes such as the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, or the tele...

15 March 2021 — ann21012

Launch of Globe at Night experiment in Chile

Globe at Night for Astronomy Day in Chile

The Ministers of Science and Environment in Chile recently invited citizens to participate in NSF’s NOIRLab’s Globe at Night program to identify how the light of cities affects astronomical observations. This activity was a prelude to Astronomy Day hel...

10 March 2021 — ann21011

TEA on the Summit

Tuesday 2 March 2021 was a day for some serious heavy lifting on the summit; the Top-End Assembly (TEA) for the Vera C. Rubin Observatory Telescope Mount Assembly (TMA) was lifted by crane into the observatory dome and installed on the TMA of the Simon...

9 March 2021 — ann21010

NOIRLab Stories

Experience the story of NSF’s NOIRLab through the people, science and technology that are revolutionizing humanity’s view of the Universe.

NOIRLab Stories is our new blog that takes readers behind the scenes at NOIRLab with deep dives into science, te...

9 March 2021 — rubinann21004

Rubin Digest 09 March 2021

Project & Science News

The Top-End Assembly (TEA) for the Telescope Mount Assembly (TMA) was lifted by crane into the observatory dome and installed on the TMA on March 2nd. The task was completed successfully and was a highly celebrated milestone...

4 March 2021 — ann21009

Devin Chu at the Journey Through the Universe Career Panel

Celebrating 17 Years in Hawaiʻi Island Classrooms

This year’s virtual Journey Through the Universe program, running from 1 to 5 March 2021, is nearing completion with stunning results. Owing to the pandemic, the event took place entirely online for the first time to limit the risk to educators and par...

3 March 2021 — ann21008

Views of Interacting Galaxies from Aladin Lite

Interact with NOIRLab’s Astronomical Images with New App

The astronomical image archive from NSF’s NOIRLab has become interactive thanks to a new web application developed to explore the sky. Harnessing the power of the Aladin Interactive Sky Atlas, the app allows users to learn more about the images in a vi...

24 Feb. 2021 — ann21007

Virtual Card Game Allows Anyone to ‘Observe’ with Gemini

The international Gemini Observatory, a Program of NSF’s NOIRLab, is constantly making new astronomical observations that provide deeper insights into the nature of our Universe. But how do those observations actually happen? What is required to turn a...

23 Feb. 2021 — rubinann21003

Rubin Digest 23 February 2021

Project & Science News

The Survey Cadence Optimization Committee (SCOC) has extended the deadline for the Cadence Notes Solicitation Call from March 15th to April 15th, 2021. The change is intended to provide the community additional time to evalu...

22 Feb. 2021 — ann21006

GHOST spectrograph arriving at Gemini South

A GHOST Arrives

Key components of the Gemini High-resolution Optical SpecTrograph (GHOST) instrument have arrived and are awaiting assembly at its home, Gemini South on Cerro Pachón in Chile [1]. GHOST is expected to play a key role in the research output of Gemini So...

9 Feb. 2021 — rubinann21002

Rubin Digest 09 February 2021

Project & Science News

The Rubin Observatory Data Management (DM) team seeks input from the science community regarding which photo-z estimator(s) should be adopted to generate photometric redshifts (photo-z) for the LSST Data Release (DR) Object ...

2 Feb. 2021 — ann21005

Globe at Night’s Stellar Year — Will You Love the Stars in 2021?

Globe at Night is an international, online, citizen-science campaign, run by NSF’s NOIRLab to raise public awareness of the impact of light pollution by inviting citizen-scientists to measure and submit their night sky brightness observations. Globe at...

26 Jan. 2021 — rubinann21001

Rubin Digest 26 January 2021

Project & Science News

Rubin Observatory participated in the first all-virtual American Astronomical Society Winter Meeting (AAS237) on January 11-16, 2021. Details about the Rubin Open House, exhibit booth, and special sessions can be found in th...

Images of the Week

7 April 2021 — iotw2114

Star Trails and the Lone Twin

31 March 2021 — iotw2113

Not a Planet

24 March 2021 — iotw2112

Moonrise Over Gemini North

17 March 2021 — iotw2111

Telescope Trio

10 March 2021 — iotw2110

A Sky Full of Galaxies

3 March 2021 — iotw2109

Heavy Lifting at Vera C. Rubin Observatory

24 Feb. 2021 — iotw2108

Lightning Strikes Up

17 Feb. 2021 — iotw2107

Guardians of the Galaxy

10 Feb. 2021 — iotw2106

Snowy Sunrise on Maunakea

3 Feb. 2021 — iotw2105

Oh, What a Beautiful Morning!

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23 March 2021

Why has the Universe gotten brighter?

9 March 2021

Amanda Bauer: “I grew up playing the piano, but you can’t take a piano to parties!”

Our Programs

Cerro Tololo

From the first observations in 1965, Cerro Tololo, located in Chile, has served as the principal platform for U.S. astronomical investigation of the southern skies.

Community Science & Data Center

Programs within the Community Science and Data Center support and enable a broad range of astronomical community science activities across the US ground-based optical and infrared system.

Kitt Peak

Founded in 1958, Kitt Peak National Observatory is home to one of the largest arrays of optical and radio telescopes in the world.

Gemini Observatory

The Gemini Observatory consists of twin 8.1-meter diameter optical/infrared telescopes located on two of the best observing sites on the planet.

Rubin Observatory

Vera C. Rubin Observatory, currently under construction on Cerro Pachón in Chile, is an 8-meter-class telescope coupled to a 3.2-gigapixel camera – the world’s largest digital camera ever fabricated for optical astronomy.