Announcements

8 November 2022: Together with the other Maunakea Observatories (MKOs), the International Gemini Observatory, operated by NSF's NOIRLab, celebrated AstroDay Kona with families and friends of all ages on Saturday, 5 November 2022. A free event held outdoors at the Kona Commons Shopping Center in Kailua-Kona, AstroDay Kona provided an estimated 1000 visitors with the opportunity to learn about the Universe that inspires astronomy research as well as the spectacular discoveries made by the telescopes on Maunakea. Like the Annual AstroDay in Hilo each May, this event is led by the University of Hawaii’s Institute for Astronomy. Observatory staff joined the community with special activities, informative exhibitions, and free AstroKits. These activity kits are composed of beautifully captured astronomical images of Jupiter and Saturn along with descriptive Hawaiian-cultural astronomy handouts, which included information on the Hawaiian moon phases and the star line most prominent this month, Ka Lupe O Kawelo. Visitors to the …

1 November 2022: Final update: 7 June 2023 Gemini North returned to night-time operations on 2 June; Its first science observations after the repairs were of the galaxy Messier 101 and the recent supernova within it: SN 2023ixf. In this initial period we expect to carry out a mix of engineering tune-up and science observing as the weather conditions permit. Principal Investigators of Target of Opportunity (ToO) programs should note that we will start accepting ToOs only once the engineering and instrument checkout is complete. Gemini/NOIRLab thanks the mirror repair team, Safran–Reosc, the independent review board, and all the staff involved in this challenging exercise. Update 31 May 2023 The Gemini North telescope has now been reassembled. The mirror cell has been installed in the telescope, and the mirror support systems have been successfully powered up and tested. The new lateral-actuator pad is performing as expected. On-sky engineering tests are scheduled to begin …

26 October 2022: Update 30 October 2022: The event has been canceled and will be rescheduled for a future date. On 4 November 2022 ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center, with support from the International Gemini Observatory, operated by NSF's NOIRLab, will present Beyond Me: A Journey with Music and Sounds through Space, Art, and Technology, an evening of sound and music based on the motions of planets orbiting alien suns as observed by NASA’s planet-finding Kepler space telescope. Imagine being able to listen to a soundscape based on the light received from these planets in the form of a sophisticated musical score? NASA scientist and science lead of the Kepler mission Steve B. Howell, famed composer Henri Scars Struck, and branding strategist and producer Grace Palmer from The Other Side Of The Brain, proudly present Beyond Me: A Journey with Music and Sounds through Space, Art, and Technology, a specially crafted event that brings the …

25 October 2022: Project & Science News On October 17th, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Congresswoman Anna Eshoo and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, visited SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory for a tour of the Linac Coherent Light Source and the Rubin Observatory LSST Camera. Photos from the visit are available on Flikr. Registration is open for the third Survey Cadence Optimization Committee (SCOC)-Science Collaborations Workshop, which will be held virtually November 2-3, 2022. Details and a link to register are available on the meeting website. The number of media stories about the almost-complete LSST Camera continues to increase. See this recent news item on our website, which includes an updated list of stories resulting from recent media visits to the camera clean room at SLAC. A review of the Rubin Observatory Summit power system was held October 17-19 on Cerro Pachón. The scope of the review was to assess the safety and …

25 October 2022: For many astronomy enthusiasts, few things instill as much excitement as visiting one of the world-class telescopes and research centers that are part of NSF’s NOIRLab. From the remote and rugged mountains of Chile to the towering slopes of Maunakea, from the rocky terrain of Kitt Peak to NOIRLab Headquarters in Tucson, Arizona, NOIRLab facilities cross continents and hemispheres to bring the wonder of the Universe to people here on Earth. Getting to these remote locations, however, can be difficult even for the most adventurous travelers. That is why NOIRLab is now bringing the excitement to you! NOIRLab is proud to announce the launch of its comprehensive virtual tours, which give special behind-the-scenes access to the science we do and the diverse community that makes astronomy research possible. The entire suite consists of seven different locations, each featuring panoramic images from various areas near the summit and base facilities of …

21 October 2022: Alejandra Voigt has been appointed the Head of Mission for AURA Observatory in Chile (AURA-O), which represents AURA in that country, and Vice President of AURA. Voigt comes to AURA from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), where since 2014, as ALMA’s Executive Officer, she has been part of this amazing facility’s transformational impact on global astronomy. In her role, she supported the full transition from construction to operations, building and optimizing processes and policies, including observatory signature strategies, such as diversity and inclusion, and sustainability, as well as the long-term public outreach vision. Before joining ALMA, Voigt was the deputy head of the Legal and Legislative Division of the Secretary General of the Presidency, advising the Chilean President and his Cabinet in their legal and legislative functions, including relevant international matters. Previously, she was the Head of the Legal Research Service in the National Congress, conducting comparative legal research …

12 October 2022: Project & Science News Representatives from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the US Department of Energy (DOE) visited the Rubin construction site on Cerro Pachón on September 27th to view construction progress and interact with Rubin leadership and staff working on the summit. Photos from the visit are available in the Gallery. The summit safety team led a workshop for NOIRLab staff at the Rubin construction site on Cerro Pachón on September 28th (photo). The objective of the workshop was to provide a general on-site view of the development of the safety management system for the Rubin site, the challenges anticipated in the near future, and the transition to operations. It was also a great opportunity for NOIRLab staff to learn more about all the exciting work that is going on at Rubin. The Data Management team on Cerro Pachón recently enabled the transfer of data captured by the …

11 October 2022: The International Astronomical Union’s (IAU) Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky from Satellite Constellation Interference (CPS), which is co-hosted by NSF’s NOIRLab and SKA Observatory, is supporting a photography exhibition that explores the challenges of space sustainability, including the impact of mega-satellite constellations on astronomy and the human experience of the night sky. The International Astronomical Union’s Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky from Satellite Constellation Interference (CPS) is supporting a photography exhibition that demonstrates the vulnerability of near-space and the urgent need for its sustainable use. Called Our Fragile Space, the collection of artistic photography, reportage, and portraiture opened in London on 6 October 2022 to coincide with the United Nations’ World Space Week. International photographer and science communicator Max Alexander created the series. “Through beautiful images and compelling stories, this exhibition expertly captures the current challenge of space sustainability,” said …

7 October 2022: Though much work still needs to be done, many of the telescopes and key scientific instruments located at Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), a Program of NSF’s NOIRLab, that were affected by the June 2022 Contreras Fire have now returned to service and are once again exploring the Universe. They include the Nicholas U. Mayall 4-meter Telescope, which hosts the Department of Energy's (DOE) Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), the most powerful multi-object survey spectrograph in the world, the heart of a next-generation sky survey that is creating the largest 3D map of the Universe. The operation of the Mayall Telescope is fully supported by the DOE. Other key KPNO instruments are also back on the sky and taking data, including the WIYN 3.5-meter Telescope, which hosts the NEID instrument, and several other telescopes owned and operated by the University of Arizona, including the UArizona Bok 2.3-meter Telescope and the …

5 October 2022: NSF’s NOIRLab is pleased to announce that Stuartt Corder will become the new Deputy Director of NOIRLab and AURA Mission Scientist in Chile, effective 7 November. Corder has more than 15 years of experience with world-class astronomical facilities, including senior leadership roles with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observatory in Chile and NSF’s National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) headquartered in Charlottesville, Virginia. As NOIRLab’s Deputy Director and AURA Mission Scientist, Corder will represent the NOIRLab Director’s office in Chile and will be the primary interface with the Chilean astronomical community and the other international observatories. He also will be intimately involved in the daily operations and management of NOIRLab and will participate in strategic planning and interactions with the scientific community. “I am thrilled to begin working with my international colleagues in this new and exciting role, with an eye toward optimizing and synergizing across the facilities in ways …

27 September 2022: Project & Science News A quarterly meeting of the AURA Management Council for Rubin Observatory (AMCR) took place September 14-15 in Palo Alto, CA. A highlight of this productive meeting was a visit to the clean room at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, where the group admired the LSST Camera with all its major components now assembled. Rubin project members participated in a Joint Status Review (JSR) on September 20-23 in Tucson, AZ. The review committee commented favorably on the clarity and responsiveness of the Rubin team in their presentations and responses to committee questions. They also congratulated the Rubin Education and Public Outreach (EPO) team for their hard work and success in the construction phase (EPO will transition into operations in FY23). In response to encouraging trends in Chile, the Chilean government is relaxing the restrictions in its COVID-19 management plan, effective October 1st. The Rubin safety team and Rubin …

26 September 2022: Richard Green, the Assistant Director for Government Relations, Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, has been appointed the interim Project Director of NOIRLab’s part of the US Extremely Large Telescope Program (US-ELTP), a joint endeavor of NSF’s NOIRLab and the organizations building the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) and the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT). Green succeeds Beth Willman, effective 1 September 2022, who was appointed (Login required) the LSST Corporation’s Chief Executive Officer and Director of Science. Green continues his distinguished career in astronomy, which includes serving as the NOAO Deputy Director and as Director of the United Kingdom Infra-Red Telescope, Kitt Peak National Observatory, and the Large Binocular Telescope Observatory. He also served as the National Science Foundation's Division Director for the Division of Astronomical Sciences. Green is based in Tucson, Arizona, where he most recently has been working at the University of Arizona and with NOIRLab on special projects. His …

6 September 2022: Project & Science News The Rubin Science Advisory Committee (SAC) held a meeting at the Project and Community Workshop, and has posted the minutes of the meeting, including a number of findings and recommendations for Rubin management. They include the SAC’s suggestions for the Rubin website and communications plan; discussion of the progress made by the Survey Cadence Optimization Committee and the work that lies ahead; clarifying the Observatory’s plans for Early Science operations; support for the Solar System science community before Rubin begins gathering data; and many other topics. At SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, the LSST Camera team recently celebrated a significant achievement: the integration of the L1L2 lens assembly with the Camera structure on August 18th, 2022. The time lapse video was picked up by CNET—it shows a group of SLAC engineers and technicians performing the delicate installation procedure in the LSST Clean Room. These two lenses, combined …

2 September 2022: Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s Commissioning Camera (ComCam) has been successfully installed on the Telescope Mount Assembly on the summit of Cerro Pachón in Chile. This is the first of many optical components to be integrated with the telescope structure, and is an important step toward getting real astronomical data flowing from the observatory. ComCam is a smaller (144-megapixel) and simpler version of the full 3200-megapixel LSST Camera. ComCam will be used for testing and commissioning activities prior to the installation of the full science camera and it will produce the first astronomical data from the Simonyi Survey Telescope once the rest of the optical system is installed. This commissioning data will be used to demonstrate that the various subsystems of the telescope are working as designed. The Rubin Operations team plans to release commissioning data as part of Data Preview 1, scheduled for mid-2024. The Rubin team on the summit …

29 August 2022: Update 5 April 2023 We are closing this announcement and will update on COVID-19 issues as they arise. While the road to Kitt Peak is still closed, we are gradually reopening the exclusive Overnight Telescope Observing Program starting Saturday, 15 April 2023. This custom program gives you the full observatory experience and makes up to 4 guests visiting astronomers at Kitt Peak. Book your tickets on Eventbrite. Update 14 December 2022 Public visits to the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) in Chile have been restarted. Update 29 August 2022 During the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, many staff at NSF's NOIRLab have been working from home, as their job functions allow. This arrangement has helped protect the safety and health of staff as well as keep our science operations running. Now a plan for the return to partial on-site working has been developed that establishes NOIRLab's ‘new normal’ working arrangements …

16 August 2022: The Universe awaits! From the outskirts of our own Solar System to infant stars and galaxies at the other end of the observable Universe, astronomers are uncovering previously hidden wonders. Making this new era of exploration possible are the state-of-the-art nighttime optical observatories funded by the US National Science Foundation (NSF), which are brought together for the first time in one unified organization, NSF’s NOIRLab. To help astronomers, educators, and the public share in this journey of discovery, NOIRLab has released a series of informative and engaging brochures and handouts — in English and Spanish — that are brimming with stunning images of advanced telescopes and the distant objects they observe. These exciting products are available to download from the NOIRLab website and hard copies are available upon request for use in schools, science festivals, and other astronomy-themed outreach activities. Leading the way is NOIRLab’s flagship booklet titled Discovering Our …

16 August 2022: Project & Science News The Rubin 2022 Project and Community Workshop, held August 8-12 at the Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain resort in Tucson, AZ, was a successful and productive meeting. The first in-person PCW since 2019 also offered an option for people to participate virtually in plenaries and select breakout sessions. More details about the event are available in this recent news item. On August 9th, Rubin Observatory recognized the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People. We are privileged to be able to conduct research on Cerro Pachón in Chile, and we acknowledge the Indigenous communities in Chile as the natural protectors of that land. We further acknowledge that our headquarters in Tucson is on the ancestral and unceded lands of the O’odham and Yaqui people. The LSST Camera Pumped Coolant Final Design Review took place at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory on August 2-5. The main recommendation of the review …

26 July 2022: Project & Science News A detailed agenda for the Rubin 2022 Project and Community Workshop (PCW) is now available on the meeting website. We look forward to seeing many of you August 8-12 in Tucson, AZ. Numerous Rubin Observatory staff members gave talks at last week’s SPIE conference in Montreal Canada, July 17-22. Alysha Shugart facilitated a well-received series of interactive Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion activities, and the Rubin communications team hosted a booth in the exhibit hall. A Rubin group photo taken at the booth is available in the Gallery, along with other photos from the meeting. A significant winter storm hit the summit on July 14th and 15th, dropping about 6 feet (1.8 meters) of snow in some places. Some non-Rubin personnel were safely evacuated from Cerro Pachón by helicopter, and road access to the summit was completely blocked for several days. A Rubin inspection team was able …

12 July 2022: Project & Science News In-person registration has closed for the Rubin 2022 Project and Community Workshop (PCW) because we reached our safe capacity limit, but you can still register for virtual participation at this link. The workshop will be held August 8-12, at the Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain in Tucson, AZ. The Rubin kindness page has been updated with new information, resources, and ideas for contributing to a culture of kindness in our community. Rubin Observatory will host an exhibit booth at the upcoming SPIE conference in Montreal, Canada, July 17-22. If you’re attending the event, please stop by Booth #205 and say hello! The Data Management (DM) team held a DM Bootcamp on June 28-30. These bootcamps, updated and re-offered periodically, feature tutorials from experienced DM team members to help bring newer members of the team get up to speed quickly. DM Bootcamp 2022 was primarily virtual, with up to …

30 June 2022: The International Gemini Observatory, a program of the National Science Foundation's (NSF’s) NOIRLab, which operates the Gemini North telescope on Maunakea, and its management agency the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), wish to acknowledge the Hawai‘i State Legislature for their hard work and diligence in shepherding through House Bill 2024 CD1 which will become law in the next several days. This legislation establishes a new Authority to manage the summit and surrounding areas on Maunakea. Responsible management of the environmental and cultural resources of Maunakea, as well as the meaningful involvement of the Hawaiian community, is of critical importance and we stand committed to working with the new Authority. To support the ongoing and future conversations about the Maunakea management structure, a set of principles for the future management of astronomical facilities were endorsed by the AURA Board in April 2022 and can be found here. Additionally, …