Announcements 2025

20 February 2025: Last week twenty members of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN COPUOS) — the top UN body for civilian space-related matters — took the floor to discuss the agenda item on dark and quiet skies, demonstrating its growing importance. The discussion included remarks on the need to find balanced solutions, the urgent need for nations to support research on mitigations, considerations on the cultural heritage of the night sky, and the importance of space sustainability discussions within international bodies. In attendance were members of the IAU Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky from Satellite Constellation Interference (IAU CPS), which is co-hosted by NSF NOIRLab and the SKAO. Securing an agenda item at the subcommittee is a significant success for the astronomy community, and the culmination of many years of coordinated action by astronomers to have the issue discussed at the …

12 February 2025: Project & Science News The LSST Camera was removed from the summit clean room on February 4th and then moved from its support stand to the camera rotator the following day. This marks the first time that the LSST Camera has been integrated with (a part of) the telescope! While the Commissioning Camera — which was previously installed on the camera rotator — has the same interface, the LSST Camera is outfitted with a new cooling system. This system includes vacuum insulated hoses which need to be properly managed during the motion from the camera cable wrap (CCW), camera rotator and the camera hexapod. Over the next couple of weeks, the Camera team will be testing the performance of this additional system on the camera rotator motion systems. Photos of the LSST Camera move are available in the Gallery. The LSST Camera group has released a technote (https://sitcomtn-148.lsst.io) on results …

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 …

29 January 2025: Project & Science News Rubin representatives had a busy and productive week at the American Astronomical Society Winter Meeting (AAS 245) in National Harbor, MD on January 12-16. Rubin’s exhibit booth hosted many enthusiastic visitors and the Rubin Town Hall, held on January 14th, was very well attended. Slides from the Town Hall presentation are available on Zenodo. Concurrent with the Town Hall, Rubin released a website article about the successful conclusion of tests with Rubin’s Commissioning Camera, along with an engineering test image. Along with the positive response from those in the room, the news got immediate amplification from a Space.com reporter attending the session. A panel of Rubin experts presented to an audience of media and science writers at AAS 245. Sandrine Thomas, Leanne Guy, Yusra AlSayaad, and Beth Willman provided an overview of Rubin Observatory and upcoming Rubin science, managing Rubin data, and Rubin’s global participation and …

14 January 2025: After ten years of construction, NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory is less than one year away from the start of its transformational movie of our changing night sky. In preparation for this monumental production, the observatory has just successfully completed a series of full-system tests using an engineering test camera. This accomplishment sets the stage for the last step of Rubin construction: installation of the 3200-megapixel LSST Camera (LSSTCam) — the largest digital camera in the world. Rubin Observatory is jointly funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science. Rubin is a joint Program of NSF NOIRLab and DOE’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, who will cooperatively operate Rubin. The engineering test camera, or commissioning camera (ComCam), has a mosaic of nine CCD sensors with a total of 144 megapixels. It covers an area about twice that of a full Moon. Over the …

10 January 2025: The January 2025 issue of The NOIRLab Mirror is now available. This biannual publication focuses on news and scientific content from across NOIRLab, which is funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). Dive into stories that showcase the science, technology, and developments from the five NSF NOIRLab Programs: the Community Science and Data Center (CSDC), Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), the International Gemini Observatory, Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), and NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory Operations. This issue features a collection of science highlights spanning the breadth of NOIRLab facilities and Programs, tutorials on data reduction with the Python-based meta-package DRAGONS, a feature on IGRINS-2 — the first new facility instrument at Gemini North since 2005 — reflections on two conferences held in 2023 and 2024 aimed at discussing the future of Extremely Large Telescopes (ELTs), an exciting recap of last year’s achievements for the nearly-complete Vera C. Rubin …

2 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. 3–4 January: Venus, the Moon, and Saturn Line Up On 3 January, Venus, a crescent Moon, and Saturn will line up neatly in the evening sky. Jupiter will also be visible in the east. The lineup will change on 4 January, when Saturn will be between the Moon and Venus. 9 January: The Moon and the Seven Sisters On 9 January, the Moon will be right next to the Pleiades, also known as M45 or the Seven Sisters. Unfortunately the Moon will be 83% full, which will make it difficult …

2 January 2025: Professional Development Opportunities 13 January 2025 — New Data-Driven Classroom Investigations from Rubin Observatory Time: 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. EST Location: Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, National Harbor, MD Description: This in-person workshop will be offered as a Splinter Meeting at the 245th American Astronomical Society Meeting. There is no charge to attend this workshop and advance registration is not necessary. Rubin Observatory’s Education and Public Outreach team has released two new classroom-tested online investigations: Exploding Stars and Stellar Safari. They are designed to teach students about supernovae and stellar evolution through interactive data analysis. These investigations are best suited to novice learners from advanced middle school through the introductory college level (Astro 101) classes and are two of seven free, classroom-ready lessons. The accompanying workshop fosters a supportive environment to enhance teaching practices, encourage reflection, and promote open discourse. Read the full description here. 25 January 2025 …

2 January 2025: Vilma Tapia Pizarro from Valentín Letelier School in La Serena is the winner of the 2024 AURA-Padre Picetti Award, an annual initiative by AURA Observatory since 2014 that seeks to recognize Chilean teachers focused on science and astronomy, as well as encouraging the training of new generations of scientists. Tapia has had a professional career of more than 40 years, most of which has been spent in the north of Chile, mainly in Antofagasta and now in La Serena. She is a general teacher and has a Master’s degree in Educational Sciences, and a postgraduate degree in Natural Sciences. She has completed internships and training in Astronomy Didactics at the University of Heidelberg, Germany, and in Active Methodologies in Natural Sciences at the University of Northern Iowa in the U.S. Additionally, she was recognized as a teacher of the Red de Maestros de Maestros (Masters of Masters Network) of the …

2 January 2025: The countdown is on for Hawai‘i Island’s largest astronomy education and outreach program! Journey Through the Universe is returning for its 21st year in Hilo this February. We are excited to connect with local schools and partners during a week of engaging in-person classroom sessions packed with hands-on STEM activities. Students will explore STEM careers and learn the latest in astronomical research, including discoveries made from Maunakea. To learn more about the program, visit the Journey webpage. To help us kick off Journey Week we invite you to join us at a star party from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. HST on 1 February at Liliʻuokalani Gardens. In partnership with ʻOhana Kilo Hōkū, Gemini/NOIRLab and other Maunakea Observatories will host a night of stargazing and storytelling for the whole ʻohana to enjoy. Not able to attend in person? Consider learning more about astronomy on Maunakea and the night sky from …

2 January 2025: The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) is an advanced spectrograph capable of measuring the redshifts of 5000 galaxies simultaneously. DESI is probing dark energy — the mysterious force that is causing the expansion of the Universe to accelerate. With such a vast amount of data, other types of analysis can be done as well. Using the first year of DESI data (containing nearly six million galaxies spanning over 11 billion years of the history of the Universe), researchers created the largest 3D map of the Universe ever. Analyzing this map allowed researchers to test Einstein’s general theory of relativity over vast cosmic distances more precisely than has ever been possible. They found that the observed structure of the Universe matches very well with Einstein’s predictions of how gravity behaves at large scales, and their results place limits on other theories of gravity that have been proposed to explain dark energy. …

2 January 2025: The International Astronomical Union (IAU) divides the sky into 88 official constellations. The newly launched 88 Constellations project from NSF NOIRLab brings together high-resolution images and educational resources to help bring the 88 constellations into your classroom. German astrophotographer Eckhard Slawik meticulously photographed the 88 constellations on film. The final images are each composed of two separate exposures — one with a diffuser and one without to bring out the natural colors of the stars. NOIRLab staff added information on the constellations, their history, and interesting objects visible in each constellation. This resource would complement classroom instruction relating to observing motions and patterns of the night sky, designing solutions for light pollution, and preserving the dark sky. Classroom activities can also be found at globeatnight.org. For more information, read the full announcement here.

2 January 2025: Where Stars Meet Science Sitting at 2647 meters (8684 feet) on Cerro Pachón in Chile, NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory is situated at one of the best places for observing the night sky. The site offers high peaks and dry air, and averages about 300 clear nights a year. The high altitude places the observatory above more layers of the Earth’s atmosphere, providing clearer images. The closest city, La Serena, is located about 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the observatory. This is far enough away from city lights but close enough to have access to essential infrastructure and support. Visit the Rubin in Chile webpage for more information and resources about how the site was selected for the observatory. A Milestone Moment The Rubin Education and Public Outreach Team traveled to Chile for two weeks in November. The trip included meeting with various astronomy organizations and touring facilities in Santiago, …

2 January 2025: In 2024 we celebrated many exciting education and engagement milestones. The 20th anniversary of Journey Through the Universe engaged over 4000 students in STEM activities on Hawai‘i Island. In Chile, Viaje al Universo brought astronomy into classrooms, inspiring the next generation of scientists! We hosted the much-anticipated Tohono O’odham Open Night at NSF Kitt Peak National Observatory honoring the longstanding relationship between the Tohono O’odham Nation and the astronomical community at Kitt Peak. Additionally, NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory launched Stellar Safari, a new education investigation using real data to explore stars in their natural environments to discover their properties, distance, and age. We are excited about the new opportunities and milestones 2025 will bring! Together in learning, Justine SchaenEditorEmail: education@noirlab.edu