Press Releases

Planet Lost in the Glare of Binary Stars (illustration)

Science Release: 28 June 2021 — noirlab2120

Are We Missing Other Earths?

Some exoplanet searches could be missing nearly half of the Earth-sized planets around other stars. New findings from a team using the international Gemini Observatory and the WIYN 3.5-meter Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory suggest that Earth-sized worlds could be lurking undiscovered in binary star systems, hidden in the glare of their parent stars. As roughly half of all stars are in binary systems, this means that astronomers could be missing many Earth-sized worlds.
Illustration of Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein

Science Release: 25 June 2021 — noirlab2119

Giant Comet Found in Outer Solar System by Dark Energy Survey

A giant comet from the outskirts of our Solar System has been discovered in 6 years of data from the Dark Energy Survey. Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein is estimated to be about 1000 times more massive than a typical comet, making it arguably the largest comet discovered in modern times. It has an extremely elongated orbit, journeying inward from the distant Oort Cloud over millions of years. It is the most distant comet to be discovered on its incoming path, giving us years to watch it evolve as it approaches the Sun, though it's not predicted to become a naked-eye spectacle.
Dark Energy Survey deep field image

Science Release: 27 May 2021 — noirlab2118

Dark Energy Survey Releases Most Precise Look at the Universe’s Evolution

In 29 new scientific papers, the Dark Energy Survey examines the largest-ever maps of galaxy distribution and shapes, extending more than 7 billion light-years across the Universe. The extraordinarily precise analysis, which includes data from the survey’s first three years, contributes to the most powerful test of the current best model of the Universe, the standard cosmological model. However, hints remain from earlier DES data and other experiments that matter in the Universe today is a few percent less clumpy than predicted.
Andromeda Galaxy with DESI Overlay

Organization Release: 17 May 2021 — noirlab2117

DESI Begins Creating 3D Map of the Universe

A quest to map the Universe and unravel the mysteries of dark energy began officially today, 17 May 2021, at Kitt Peak National Observatory, a Program of NSF’s NOIRLab. Over the next five years, the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) will capture the light from tens of millions of galaxies and other cosmic objects. During its four-month trial run, which just concluded, the project already collected millions of observations.
Gemini North Infrared View of Jupiter

Photo Release: 11 May 2021 — noirlab2116

By Jove! Jupiter Shows Its Stripes and Colors

Stunning new images of Jupiter from Gemini North and the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope showcase the planet at infrared, visible, and ultraviolet wavelengths of light. These views reveal details in atmospheric features such as the Great Red Spot, superstorms, and gargantuan cyclones stretching across the planet’s disk. Three interactive images allow you to compare observations of Jupiter at these different wavelengths and explore the gas giant’s clouds yourself!

Images of the Week

At the Foot of Maunakea

21 July 2021 — iotw2129

At the Foot of Maunakea
Starry Horizon from Kitt Peak

14 July 2021 — iotw2128

Starry Horizon from Kitt Peak
Portrait of the Great Barred Spiral

7 July 2021 — iotw2127

Portrait of the Great Barred Spiral
The Cosmic Jewels of Sextans A

30 June 2021 — iotw2126

The Cosmic Jewels of Sextans A
A Whirlpool of Stars

23 June 2021 — iotw2125

A Whirlpool of Stars
Telescope Trio

16 June 2021 — iotw2124

Telescope Trio
Clear Skies at Cerro Pachón

9 June 2021 — iotw2123

Clear Skies at Cerro Pachón
Technicolor Night

2 June 2021 — iotw2122

Technicolor Night
A Giant’s Funeral Pyre

26 May 2021 — iotw2121

A Giant’s Funeral Pyre
Hanging by a Thread

19 May 2021 — iotw2120

Hanging by a Thread

Learn More

NOIRLab Stories

Site Maps

Globe at Night

Live from NOIRLab

Sign Up for NOIRLab News!

Andes Lidar Observatory

13 July 2021

Studying Earth’s atmosphere with Andes Lidar Observatory
NOIRLab's Leinani Lozi teaches school students about the planets

22 June 2021

Leinani Lozi: “These amazing telescopes in our backyard are something I feel very proud of”
Vera C. Rubin Observatory and transient objects

8 June 2021

ANTARES: More than just a stellar concept
Parker Fagrelius with ProtoDESI

17 May 2021

DESI: Shedding light on dark energy
Three Views of Jupiter

11 May 2021

Peering through Jupiter’s storms with Gemini

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.