Press Releases

Comet 3I/ATLAS Seen With Gemini North

Photo Release: 15 July 2025 — noirlab2522

Gemini North Observes Comet 3I/ATLAS

Interstellar objects are visitors from solar systems beyond our own, and the third ever such object, known as 3I/ATLAS, has just been discovered. Using the Gemini North telescope, astronomers have captured 3I/ATLAS as it makes its temporary passage through our cosmic neighborhood. These observations will help scientists study the characteristics of this rare object’s origin, orbit, and composition.
Gemini North and Gemini South Capture the Fading Light of SN 2025kg

Science Release: 7 July 2025 — noirlab2520

International Gemini Observatory and SOAR Discover Surprising Link Between Fast X-ray Transients and the Explosive Death of Massive Stars

Using a combination of telescopes, including the International Gemini Observatory, funded in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation and operated by NSF NOIRLab, and the SOAR telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, a Program of NSF NOIRLab, astronomers have characterized the closest supernova linked to a fast X-ray transient. The observations reveal that these bright blasts of X-rays may be the result of a ‘failed’ explosive death of a massive star.
The Cosmic Treasure Chest

Organization Release: 23 June 2025 — noirlab2521

Ever-changing Universe Revealed in First Imagery From NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory

From distant stars and galaxies to asteroids whizzing through the Solar System, this next-generation facility unveils its first imagery and brings the night sky to life like never before.
The Ominous Chamaeleon I Dark Cloud

Photo Release: 10 June 2025 — noirlab2519

Dark Energy Camera Captures Sparse Pockets of Light Amongst Dark Clouds of Chamaeleon I

The ominous Chamaeleon I dark cloud, the nearest star-forming region to Earth, is captured in this image taken with the 570-megapixel Department of Energy-fabricated Dark Energy Camera mounted on the U.S. National Science Foundation Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, a Program of NSF NOIRLab. Chamaeleon I is one portion of the larger Chamaeleon Complex and is home to three reflection nebulae that are brightly illuminated by nearby newly formed stars.
Movie Poster for the Messengers of Time and Space Planetarium Show

Organization Release: 22 May 2025 — noirlab2518

NSF NOIRLab Presents Messengers of Time and Space Planetarium Show

Messengers of Time and Space is a new fulldome planetarium show designed to illuminate the imminent revolution in astronomy driven by time-domain and multi-messenger observations. This free, immersive experience invites audiences to explore the dynamic cosmos and witness the transformative impact of real-time data on our understanding of the Universe.

Images of the Week

Dueling Dust Dragons (in Space!)

9 July 2025 — iotw2528

Dueling Dust Dragons (in Space!)
A Silhouette Hunts for Dark Energy

2 July 2025 — iotw2527

A Silhouette Hunts for Dark Energy
A Triangle of Satellite Flares Near Gemini North

25 June 2025 — iotw2526

A Triangle of Satellite Flares Near Gemini North
Lights of the Night Show

18 June 2025 — iotw2525

Lights of the Night Show
Arcs and Angles at Kitt Peak

11 June 2025 — iotw2524

Arcs and Angles at Kitt Peak
A Cerulean Moonrise over CTIO

4 June 2025 — iotw2523

A Cerulean Moonrise over CTIO
Fireball Over Kitt Peak

28 May 2025 — iotw2522

Fireball Over Kitt Peak
A Peaceful Panorama on Maunakea

21 May 2025 — iotw2521

A Peaceful Panorama on Maunakea
Dawning of Venus at Cerro-Tololo

14 May 2025 — iotw2520

Dawning of Venus at Cerro-Tololo
Rocket Launch Dazzles Kitt Peak Visitors

7 May 2025 — iotw2519

Rocket Launch Dazzles Kitt Peak Visitors

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Group Photo Before LSST Camera Installation

12 June 2025

Lights, Camera, Cosmos: The Cast and Crew Behind Rubin Observatory

Have you ever been to a movie that was so good you didn’t want it to end? Did you sit in the theater mesmerized as the credits rolled, marveling at the people it took to make such an incredible film? NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory is making a movie like that.
Gravitational lensing 1

5 June 2025

Dialing Gravitational Lensing Research up to 11

Before light from distant stars can reach telescopes on Earth, it must travel through space. Its path is not always a straight one. Massive objects like the Sun warp space around them. When light is bent on its way through a warped area of space, the effect is called gravitational lensing.
HAT-P-70 b

27 May 2025

GHOST Spies Ultra-hot Jupiter With Ultra-fast Winds

An international team of astronomers recently used GHOST, the new flagship high-resolution spectrograph at the Gemini South telescope, to observe an ultra-hot Jupiter — a scorching antithesis to our Solar System’s Jupiter. This first-ever high-resolution exoplanet transit observed by GHOST showcases its incredible aptitude at studying the 3D nature of the atmospheres of distant worlds.
Coming soon: Rubin data

15 May 2025

Ready, Set, Process: Preparing for Rubin Observatory's Data Deluge

In astrophysics, data are a precious commodity. They are scientists’ raw material, their starting point, their playground. Here, data begin with images of the sky, of distant galaxies, of stars in motion. From each image, scientists extract a trove of information such as brightness, position, velocity, and color. The principle is simple: The more sky you observe, and the more often you observe it, the greater your chances of catching the Universe’s rarest and most fleeting phenomena.
Sandbox 1

23 April 2025

Sharpening our cosmic focus

Three decades ago, physicist Tony Tyson sat in the control room of the U.S. National Science Foundation Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope, located on a mountaintop in Chile. At the time, the Blanco telescope, part of Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, a Program of NSF NOIRLab, was one of the largest and most advanced telescopes in the world.

Our Programs

Logo of the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory

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.

Logo of the Community Science and 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.

Logo of the Kitt Peak National Observatory

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

Logo of the International 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.

Logo of the Vera C. 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.