Announcements 2025

3 June 2025: A fireball streaks across the morning sky above NSF Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), a Program of NSF NOIRLab funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation. The sky is filled with blue-green airglow while the Sun starts to brighten the night from the east. At the bottom center of this photo the constellation Orion rises above the KPNO 2.1-meter Telescope, one of the earliest telescopes on the KPNO site. Read more

3 June 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 June, Moon and Mars conjunction The month begins with the Moon and Mars together in the evening sky. (They will be even closer the night before, on 31 May.) 19 June, Moon and Saturn conjunction The Moon and Saturn will pair up in the morning sky, with Venus making a guest appearance. 20 June, June Solstice The June Solstice is the longest day of the year in …

3 June 2025: Professional Development Opportunities 27 June, From Sky to Classroom: Exploring Rubin’s First Look (Spanish Webinar) Time: 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. CLT / 17:00 - 18:00 UTC Location: Zoom Description: Join us to explore the new educational materials designed for NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s First Look, which will become available on June 23. This one-hour webinar will demonstrate how to access and implement these materials for your learning context. The webinar will be recorded. Register here. 30 June, From Sky to Classroom: Exploring Rubin’s First Look (English Webinar) Time: 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. PT / 17:00 - 18:00 UTC Location: Zoom Description: Join us to explore the new educational materials designed for NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s First Look, which will become available on June 23. This one-hour webinar will demonstrate how to access and implement these materials for your learning context. The webinar will be recorded. Register …

3 June 2025: NSF NOIRLab staff who work at U.S. National Science Foundation Kitt Peak National Observatory, or participate in events on the Tohono O’odham Nation, joined the 6th Annual Wecij U’uwĭ Hemapai Young Women’s Gathering in May for a night of sharing stories, stargazing, and connecting astronomy to the Himdag, or O’odham way of life. The event’s mission is to “empower young O’odham women by reconnecting to their O’odham identity, with vision and guidance to stand strong in their strength, self love, and self respect.” Throughout the 4-day event, participants enjoyed wellness workshops, playing traditional games such as the women’s game Toka, making traditional clay ha’a (pottery) and more. NOIRLab staff were invited to join the event for an evening to engage and connect with young women ages 10 to 17 years old from the Nation. In return, the staff provided a stargazing experience for the participants, viewing objects such as Mars …

3 June 2025: NSF NOIRLab’s newly released fulldome planetarium show, Messengers of Time and Space, brings the combination of the International Gemini Observatory and NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory to the forefront of humanity’s quest to understand our ever-changing cosmos. This free-to-download, immersive planetarium show was made possible through an NSF grant, Gemini in the Era of Multi-Messenger Astronomy (GEMMA), which is aimed at advancing the leadership role of the International Gemini Observatory in the area of multi-messenger astronomy. The planetarium show highlights how Gemini will work together with observatories that monitor the night sky for exciting astronomical events that change with time, like Rubin Observatory and LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory). Sometimes, light is not the only indicator of these short-term events. Audiences will learn how information can reach us through other messengers like cosmic rays, elusive particles called neutrinos, and even gravitational waves rippling through the Universe. The show is available …

3 June 2025: Get ready to join us on 23 June 2025 as we unveil the first spectacular imagery from NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, jointly funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science (DOE/SC). This event celebrates the start of a new era in astronomy and astrophysics with the world's newest and most powerful survey telescope. The international celebration will be live streamed via YouTube in English and Spanish. Links to the live streams will be made available on rubinobservatory.org. Watch Parties are being organized in many locations worldwide, and anyone can participate virtually in this historic event. It’s not too late to host a Watch Party or join one! 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 Research in Astronomy (AURA) and SLAC is operated …

28 May 2025: Project and Science News Mark your calendars! Rubin imagery will be revealed to the world for the first time on June 23rd, 2025. This event, called Rubin First Look, will include a livestream of the official press conference in Washington, DC starting at 11:00 a.m. EDT. Watch parties are being organized in many locations, and anyone can participate virtually in this historic event. Confirmed details are available in this news post, and additional updates will be shared on rubinobservatory.org. Preparations are ongoing for the Rubin Community Workshop, to be held in Tucson, AZ on July 28 - August 1. Everyone who applied for a talk or poster should now have received an email with their session assignment and a link to presenter information. Late poster applications are still being accepted. Follow the latest updates on the Rubin Community Workshop meeting website. Those attending at the upcoming 246th American Astronomical Society …

23 May 2025: We invite you to attend the live stream of NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s First Look event, taking place on 23 June 2025 at 11:00 a.m. EDT. At this international celebration the Rubin Observatory team will unveil the observatory’s first spectacular images. The event will be live streamed via YouTube in English and Spanish. Links to the live streams will be made available on rubinobservatory.org. Want to attend an in-person celebration? Hundreds of venues around the globe will be hosting watch parties that include a public viewing of the live stream. Check out the Rubin First Look Watch Party website to find a location near you. NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory is jointly funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science . The First Look event will feature the unveiling of a set of large, ultra-high-definition images and videos that showcase Rubin’s …

14 May 2025: Project and Science News The date for Rubin Observatory’s First Look event — when Rubin’s first images will be publicly revealed — is still being finalized and will be shared soon. In the meantime, we invite you to sign up to host a Rubin First Look Watch Party, centered around a livestream of the image unveiling. More details can be found on Rubin’s Watch Party web page. Don’t forget to register ASAP for this year’s Rubin Community Workshop, to be held in Tucson, AZ, on July 28 - August 1. Details and a link to register can be found on the Rubin Community Workshop meeting website. The Rubin Media Kit is now available in Spanish, thanks to translation assistance from the Communications and Outreach Office of the Center of Excellence in Astrophysics and Related Technologies (CATA). The Spanish-language media kit can be found on rubinobservatory.org, along with an updated version …

8 May 2025: NSF NOIRLab is pleased to invite you to the premiere of the new fulldome planetarium show, Messengers of Time and Space, which will take place on 22 May 2025 at Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium in Tucson, AZ, at 6:00 p.m. MST. Messengers of Time and Space is a new 4K planetarium show that was produced locally by NSF NOIRLab, which is headquartered in Tucson, Arizona and funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). The production of this film was made possible through a NSF grant called Gemini in the Era of Multi-Messenger Astronomy (GEMMA). A new age of astronomy is just about to start that will allow researchers to capture exploding stars, colliding black holes and other cosmic cataclysms in real time. Messengers of Time and Space is designed to illuminate the imminent revolution in astronomy driven by time-domain and multi-messenger observations. This immersive experience invites audiences to …

2 May 2025: Punctuating the deep black of this Image of the Week are hundreds of blobs of light, each one an entire galaxy in our Universe. Many of the yellowish points are members of the galaxy cluster Abell 1489, imaged here using the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph (GMOS) on Gemini North, one half of the International Gemini Observatory, supported in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation and operated by NSF NOIRLab. Read more

2 May 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. 3 May: Moon and Mars conjunction The Moon and Mars will appear very close together in the sky, as the Moon approaches first quarter. 5–6 May, eta Aquariids meteor shower The eta Aquariids are one of the best meteor showers of the year for southern hemisphere observers, producing about 50 meteors per hour from a dark site. Northern hemisphere observers can see 10–30 meteors per hour. Produced by …

2 May 2025: Chile 9 May, Cumbre de Educación en Astronomía Location: Andacollo, ChileTime: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. CLTDescription: The Andacollo Education Summit is an event for local students as they learn about the importance of astronomy and the impact it has had on their city. 25 May, Día de los Patrimonios Location: Cerro Calán, Santiago, ChileTime: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. CLTDescription: NOIRLab will participate in Heritage Day at the National Observatory of the University of Chile, located on Cerro Calán, Santiago, where the public will be able to enjoy solar observation and a series of activities designed for the little ones in the family. Colleagues working in Santiago are cordially invited to join our booth and share the wonders of our observatories with the public. Hawai‘i 3 May, AstroDay Location: Prince Kūhiō Mall, HI Time: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. HSTDescription: AstroDay is an annual event that brings astronomy education …

2 May 2025: The Gemini Card Game is a cooperative game featuring various scientific decisions that astronomers face while building, observing, and running a world-class observatory like the International Gemini Observatory. Throughout the game, players uncover the tools and science behind real astronomical observations and learn how Gemini observes the entire night sky with its twin 8.1-meter telescopes located on Maunakea in Hawai‘i and Cerro Pachón in Chile. Game Objective The goal of the multiplayer game is to work together to complete several high-priority, top-ranked science projects (so-called Band-1 programs) and as many additional programs over 12 rounds (or one semester). This is done by strategically selecting cards that can help achieve the goals of each program. Outlined on each card are the instruments, targets, or observation time required to fulfill the program’s goals. Each completed or partially completed program earns points. Just as astronomers build a reputation based on the quality and …

2 May 2025: It’s the beginning of May, meaning Black Hole Week is here again! To kick off the celebration, let's break down the basics of black holes, explore what makes them so intriguing, and find out how to learn more about them at home. What is a black hole? A black hole is an object in space that is so dense that its gravity becomes inescapable for anything that dares to cross its event horizon — the border within the hole where nothing inside can ever return. When stars much larger than the mass of the Sun die, they explode into violent supernovae. Stars that are 20 times the mass of our Sun or larger collapse during supernovae into infinitely tiny points, forming black holes. These points, known as singularities, are where mass is crushed into infinite density. They cannot be seen directly, and no light can escape their grasp, meaning black …

2 May 2025: Dark energy is one of the most mysterious forces in the Universe. Its discovery was announced in 1998 when two groups of astronomers published their findings on the expansion history of the Universe. Much to the surprise of astronomers, the expansion of the Universe was accelerating. The mysterious force that drives this acceleration was given the name dark energy. To study dark energy, astronomers wanted to measure how fast tens of millions of different galaxies are moving away from us. By looking at galaxies at different distances and knowing their recessional velocities, astronomers can study the behavior of the Universe’s expansion rate over time. Measuring the recessional velocities of tens of millions of galaxies requires a special instrument — the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI). DESI is a state-of-the-art spectrograph that can measure the recessional velocity of 5000 galaxies at once. DESI is installed on the U.S. National Science Foundation …

2 May 2025: Communicating science, astronomy in particular, is challenging not only for scientists but also for educators and teachers. Social media and other new cross-media channels have partnered with independent science communicators to create and produce interesting and relevant content for different audiences, especially for students. Such is the case of the podcast Cráneo: ciencia para niños curiosos (Skull: Science for Curious Kids), created by Cumbre Kids, a website that hosts online educational resources and produces some of the main STEM podcasts for children. More than 120,000 Spanish-speaking families in the U.S., Mexico, and Latin America follow each episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music. Astronomer and NOIRLab Postdoc Research Associate Pol Massana was invited to the last Cráneo episode to answer questions about comets from kids aged three to 10 years old. During the interview Pol breaks down the main features of comets and how they differ from other celestial …

2 May 2025: The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines an observatory as “a building or place designed or equipped for observing natural phenomena (as in astronomy) and an institution whose primary purpose is making such observations.” As the construction of NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory nears completion, there are many reasons to celebrate: The successful conclusion of a decade-long construction project, featuring a telescope with a unique optical design and the largest camera ever built for astronomy; The beginning of a ten-year survey of the southern sky (the Legacy Survey of Space and Time) that will ultimately generate a staggering 500 petabytes of data; The implementation of a sophisticated, global high-speed network to transfer, process, store, and distribute these data. These accomplishments are impressive in their own right, but none would have been possible without the people who collaborated for years to bring this vision to life. In fact, one might argue that the alternate …

28 April 2025: Project and Science News The Rubin team took the first on-sky engineering data with the LSST Camera on April 15th, shortly after darkness fell on Cerro Pachón. The first images were taken with the i-band filter. Thanks to Rubin’s successful on-sky campaign using the Commissioning Camera, the telescope optical alignments were remarkably close to optimal before even looking at the sky. Along with the excellent initial performance of the full Observatory optical system, the LSST Camera, its supporting refrigeration equipment, and the data acquisition and control systems all demonstrated smooth operation, just a few weeks after installation. The Data Management system successfully transported and processed the 3-gigapixel images at the US Data Facility within about a minute of acquiring the exposures. More details about this achievement are available on community.lsst.org, and photos of Rubin’s various distributed teams celebrating the event are available in the Gallery. During the upcoming period of …

24 April 2025: We are pleased to announce that Scott Dahm has been appointed Director of the International Gemini Observatory, funded in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation and operated by NSF NOIRLab. He will relocate to the island of Hawai’i in July of this year. In February 2024 former Gemini director Jennifer Lotz left to become Director of the Space Telescope Science Institute. Dahm, who was serving as the Gemini Deputy Director at the time, was appointed Interim Director for Gemini while a search was conducted. In the spring of 2024, NOIRLab assembled an international search committee with members from the Gemini partner countries, including Canada, Korea, and the U.S., along with people working in Hawai’i and Chile. Most of the committee members were in observatory leadership positions and two were affiliated with the Gemini Observatory. The committee conducted a worldwide search and considered a large number of potential candidates. Dahm …