E&E Announcements

4 April 2025: In an alignment of celestial bodies, Mars was captured here rising out of a lunar occultation on 13 January 2025 using the new Visitor Center 0.6-meter Shreve Telescope at the U.S. National Science Foundation Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), a Program of NSF NOIRLab, near Tucson, Arizona. An occultation is when an object becomes hidden from an observer’s view by another object passing between them. The passing object must be larger than the hidden object. Otherwise the event is a transit, such as the transit of Mercury in front of the Sun in 2019, as photographed from NSF Cerro Tololo International Observatory (CTIO), another Program of NSF NOIRLab. Read more

4 April 2025: While NOIRLab works to unravel the secrets of the Universe, you can start your own journey to explore the night sky right from your backyard. There are plenty of celestial events for skywatchers to observe every month. Below are some highlights. If you’d like to explore more on your own, we recommend Stellarium, which has a web interface and app. Note: Never look directly at the Sun through binoculars or a telescope, or with your unaided eyes. Serious eye damage can occur. 1–2 April: The Moon dances with M45 and Jupiter Between 1 and 2 April, a crescent Moon will move from a spot near the Pleiades star cluster (M45) to Jupiter. 5 April: Martian Moon Mars and the Moon will appear very close to each other high in the sky. 24 April: Early morning planet party Just before sunrise, Venus, Saturn, and Mercury can be spotted hanging out near …

4 April 2025: Professional Development Opportunities 23 April, Behind the Scenes: Exploding Stars Time: 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. MST Location: Online Webinar, Register Here Description: The NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory is introducing a series of webinars for current or future users of Rubin Observatory investigations. Each one-hour webinar in the series is designed to: Gain a better understanding of the science behind the topic Give insight into the details of the authentic data analysis process Highlight student misconceptions or learning confusions Demonstrate tips for how to use the widgets Provide an opportunity for you to ask questions The first webinar of the series, Behind the Scenes: Exploding Stars, will take place on 23 April and will be recorded. The webinar will be in English. Community Events Arizona 16 April, STEM Family Night Location: San Xavier Education Center, Tucson, AZ Time: 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. MST Description: All families are welcome …

4 April 2025: In celebration of 25 years since first light observations with the International Gemini Observatory, students in Hawaiʻi and Chile have a unique opportunity to participate in an exciting imaging contest! To kick off the contest, students are invited to vote on the astronomical object that will be imaged by the Gemini South telescope on Cerro Pachón in Chile or the Gemini North telescope located near the summit of Maunakea in Hawaiʻi. To help students make an informed choice, educators will be provided with resources about different types of celestial objects including a slide deck, lesson plans, and educational resources. In both Hawaiʻi and Chile students will have the opportunity to engage with the observation process via activities such as internships or visits to the Base Facility Control Room. In Chile students will be able to participate in a short essay contest and the most creative essay will win a visit …

4 April 2025: To celebrate National Day of Astronomy on 21 March, NSF NOIRLab and AURA, in partnership with Biblioteca Regional Gabriela Mistral and Proyecto Explora Coquimbo, hosted AstroDay Chile — an entire day packed with family-friendly activities at the Gabriela Mistral Regional Library. Since 2007, AstroDay Chile has been one of the most prominent outreach programs in the Coquimbo region. Over 2000 people attended this year’s AstroDay Chile event, where they explored the latest scientific breakthroughs from NOIRLab’s Chile-based observatories and learned about public visit programs. Visitors also connected with experts from other leading observatories, universities, and organizations, such as InnovaSteam, which sparked curiosity about STEAM careers and promoted 21st-century learning and technology. NOIRLab Astronomers captivated audiences with talks on exciting research happening at the observatories. They highlighted the cutting-edge capabilities of the world’s largest digital camera at NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory located on Cerro Pachón in Chile. This instrument will …

4 April 2025: Astronomers have made a new discovery in the world of novae: a phenomenon that can be thought of as erupting “zombie stars.” High-mass stars end their lives in an explosive event called a supernova, while low-mass stars typically fade into white dwarfs. However, a white dwarf in a binary system, gravitationally bound to another star still fusing elements in its core, can also experience a dramatic end-of-life event called a nova. White dwarfs bound to living stars can accrete mass from their partners. This process creates an atmosphere on the white dwarf and can eventually generate enough heat to reignite the fusion process in the once-dead star, creating a sort of “zombie star.” However, the star’s return to life does not last forever. This reignition expels the new atmosphere in an extremely bright event known as a nova. Almost all known novae have erupted only once. However, a small group …

4 April 2025: This month marks an exciting point in the progress of astronomy technology: the largest camera ever designed for astronomical observations will open its eye on the Universe for the first time. The NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory LSST Camera was successfully installed on the Simonyi Survey Telescope in early March. It is now in the last phase of testing before capturing its long-awaited and highly anticipated First Look images, followed by the start of the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). This achievement results from over a decade of dedicated work by a global team of scientists and engineers. NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory is jointly funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science (DOE/SC). Rubin Observatory is a joint Program of NSF NOIRLab and DOE’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. NSF NOIRLab is managed by the Association of Universities for …

3 March 2025: The Milky Way shares the stage with a luminous bubble of green and orange airglow in this panoramic image of Gemini North, one half of the International Gemini Observatory, supported in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and operated by NSF NOIRLab. Gemini North (right) is accompanied here by the Canada-France-Hawai‘i Telescope (CFHT) (left). In this image, you could remove all of the stars, the brilliant stripe of the Milky Way, and the nearby city lights of Hilo, Hawai‘i (far left), and you would still be left with a picture that isn’t completely dark. This is thanks to the persistent light of airglow. Read More

3 March 2025: While NOIRLab works to unravel the secrets of the Universe, you can start your own journey to explore the night sky right from your backyard. There are plenty of celestial events for skywatchers to observe every month. Below are some highlights. If you’d like to explore more on your own, we recommend Stellarium, which has a web interface and app. 1 March: Three planets hang out with the Moon After sunset, look for Venus and Mercury near the sliver of a crescent Moon. Venus will be the brighter planet. Saturn will also be hanging out low on the horizon, but it may get lost in the Sun’s glare. Jupiter and Mars will also be visible. 5 March: Pointing the way to the Seven Sisters After sunset, look for Mars, Jupiter, and the Moon roughly lined up with the star cluster M45, also known as the Pleiades or Seven Sisters. Venus …

3 March 2025: Professional Development Opportunities 11 March, Vera C. Rubin Observatory Investigations: Bringing real data into classrooms worldwide Time: 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. MST Location: Online Webinar, Register Here Description: NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory has developed a suite of online investigations that are appropriate for advanced middle school, high school, and introductory college astronomy courses. The investigations are free, classroom-ready, and use interactive tools to explore real astronomical data. Join us to learn about these innovative investigations including Surveying the Solar System, Coloring the Universe, and Exploding Stars. This free webinar is part of a series hosted by the National Astronomy Education Coordinator team, part of the IAU Office of Astronomy for Education. 1 April, Exploding Stars with AMTA Time: 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. MST Location: Online Webinar, Register Here Description: NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory has developed a suite of online investigations that are appropriate for advanced middle …

3 March 2025: Visits by students, teachers, and the general public are a relevant part of the outreach, engagement, and education work carried out by scientific observatories in their approach to sustainable relationships with local host communities. To that end, most of these facilities were conceived from the outset with spaces to receive visitors. Their purpose is to make the scientific work they perform, and the benefit it provides to technological development and the creation of knowledge, known to the public. This is why all NSF NOIRLab facilities at our summits and bases offer public visits at some point during the week and/or month, throughout the calendar year. The NOIRLab Communications, Education and Engagement team that developed the procedure, logistics, and content of public visits to make sure that significant and understandable content is delivered, and that school-related physics topics are covered, such as gravity, the decomposition of light, the expansion of the …

3 March 2025: NSF NOIRLab joined the 86th Annual Tohono O’odham Nation Rodeo & Fair in Sells, Arizona on 1 February 2025. The annual rodeo was free this year and brought together O’odham tribal members and guests to celebrate the Nation’s culture and history. NOIRLab participated in the Rodeo Parade on Saturday morning along Main Street with the theme of superheroes. NOIRLab’s float celebrated past and present O’odham NOIRLab employees as well as those who have supported the observatory for over 60 years. NOIRLab acknowledged current staff members from the Tohono O’odham Nation including Zade Arnold, Keith Blaine, Sadie Carmen, Leander Garcia, Wynona Juan, Reynese Maldonado, Jacelle Ramon-Sauberan and Vivian Segundo. Following the parade, NOIRLab had an educational booth with solar observing set up at the Livestock Complex. Additionally, people could enjoy carnival rides and local food vendors dishing up frybread, tacos, BOBA tea, and burritos. There was also live Waila and Tejano …

3 March 2025: For 21 years Journey Through the Universe has ignited curiosity and passion for science among students on Hawai‘i Island, and this year was no exception. Organized by International Gemini Observatory/NSF NOIRLab, and the Hawaiʻi Department of Education Hilo-Waiākea Complex Area, the program brought hands-on STEM experiences into over 200 Hilo-Waiākea classrooms to inspire more than 4500 of the next generation of scientists, engineers, and innovators. Journey week ran from 1 to 8 February and featured career panels and public events, including ʻOhana Stargazing at Liliʻuokalani Park and Gardens, a welcome reception at the Gemini Hilo Base Facility, and a special Astronomy on Tap event at Hilo Town Tavern. The Shadow the Scientists virtual program provided a behind-the-scenes look at live telescope observations. Journey continues to strengthen the connection between Hawaiʻi Island’s community and the cosmos. By helping students learn about the wonders of the Universe, the program is paving the …

3 March 2025: You may be familiar with the resources on the Educators webpage of the NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory website, but did you know there’s a lot more on the website that can be used to support your teaching? The new Media Kit contains just about everything you ever wanted to know about Rubin Observatory. This 69-page reference is written in digestible language and is packed with attractive graphics and images. Download the entire kit or select a specific product from Rubin’s multimedia resources webpage (or the NOIRLab image and video archives). The Gallery menu contains more than just images and graphics. Slideshows are short introductions to topics that range from telescope technologies to science. All slideshow images can be downloaded. The newest of these shows, LSST Camera: Like your camera but bigger, presents a series of text and graphic comparisons. The animated video series is an engaging way to provide …

31 January 2025: Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) gleams against the January sky above three NOIRLab-supported telescopes in this Image of the Week. This is the first time that humans have observed this comet, which was last visible from Earth about 600,000 years ago. At perihelion, this comet reached an apparent magnitude of -3.8. This is about the same brightness as Venus, on the right side of the image, and potentially makes it the brightest comet of 2025. The straight lines across the sky are satellites, more prominently visible in this close-up. This image was taken atop Cerro Pachón, in the foothills of the Chilean Andes, next to the Southern Astrophysical Research Telescope (SOAR), a part of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), a Program of NSF NOIRLab. In the distance are two other observatories supported by NSF NOIRLab (left to right): Gemini South, one half of the International …

31 January 2025: While NOIRLab works to unravel the secrets of the Universe, you can start your own journey to explore the night sky right from your backyard. There are plenty of celestial events for skywatchers to observe every month. Below are some highlights. If you’d like to explore more on your own, we recommend Stellarium, which has a web interface and app. 1 February: Moon and Venus Conjunction Start the month by seeing the Moon and Venus cozy up to one another, with special guests Saturn, Mars, and Jupiter also visible. 6 February: Moon and Jupiter Conjunction near M45 Jupiter and the Moon will snuggle up next to the Pleiades (M45), the small cluster of stars that looks like a miniaturized Big Dipper. Venus, Saturn, and Mars will also be visible. 9 February: Moon and Mars Conjunction This month’s four-planet party continues, with Mars making friends with the Moon. 16 February: Bright …

31 January 2025: Professional Development Opportunities 7 February, What Supernovae Reveal about the Universe Time: 3:15 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. CST Location: Space Center Houston, Houston, TX Description: This workshop is part of the Space Exploration Educators Conference (SEEC). Attendance may be in person or virtual. Use authentic data to learn how to classify supernovae based on changes in their brightness, and then fit light curves to data to determine the distance to their host galaxies. 27 February, Coloring the Universe with AMTA and Rubin Observatory Time: 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. MST Location: Virtual Description: This is an online workshop hosted by the American Modeling Teachers Association. Vera C. Rubin Observatory has developed a suite of free, classroom-ready investigations (with support materials, such as phenomena and assessments) that use authentic data to explore common astronomy topics. These may be integrated into American Modeling Teachers Association (AMTA) Astronomy Modeling units to provide multiple …

31 January 2025: Summer Stars 2025: Teaching Astronomy with Rubin Observatory Dates: Monday 16 June through Friday 20 June, 2025 NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, in partnership with NSF NOIRLab, welcomes applications for a professional development opportunity for high school and college educators who teach astronomy as part of their courses. The week-long, in-person workshop will take place in Tucson, Arizona at NOIRLab Headquarters, with special sessions held at NSF Kitt Peak National Observatory and the University of Arizona's Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab. Participants will experience the operations and technology of a modern working observatory and learn about the discoveries that will be enabled by Rubin Observatory and NOIRLab telescopes. Participants will learn how to implement Rubin and NOIRLab classroom activities that make use of authentic data. The deadline to apply for this workshop is 23 February 2025. For more information and to apply for the workshop, please visit this link . …

31 January 2025: We are excited to share a captivating and educational resource that will introduce your students to the awe-inspiring world of astronomy and our Programs. These handouts, available in both English and Spanish, feature a stunning astronomical image on the cover and detailed information about our observatories on the back. Students will learn more about the astronomical objects featured on the cover, such as galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters, and be inspired by the role observatories play in creating these images. These ready-to-print handouts will complement any astronomy-themed or STEM career unit. Want to take a deeper dive into astronomical images? Check out our online image gallery. Images can be filtered by observatory, object, and type of image.

31 January 2025: Supernovae are grand cosmic explosions that mark the endpoint of some stars. Their brief but brilliant appearances can outshine the light of an entire galaxy! Before the year 2000, only 300 supernovae had ever been detected, but in the last few decades machine learning and sky surveys have increased the total number of supernova detections to more than 50,000. Impressive, right? And later this year, when NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory begins the Legacy Survey of Space and Time, the number of supernova detections will surpass the entire historical tally in just a few months! This is due to Rubin Observatory’s ability to repeatedly take very large and detailed images on short time scales. For any supernova captured in these images, scientists can construct a light curve, which shows how the supernova’s light changes over time. Scientists use light curves to classify the type of supernova. Type Ia supernovae are …