First Light from GPI

The first light images from the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) show a performance gain of nearly a factor of ten over the previous generation of instruments and demonstrate the GPI team’s excellent progress during commissioning so far. Image highlights below include the gas giant planet Beta Pictoris b and the dusty disk of HR4796A in polarized light. The milestone was featured at press conference at the January AAS meeting and received significant media coverage, see a listing of stories at geminipio.blogspot.com/, and the full press release is posted at www.gemini.edu/node/12113. The instrument team is preparing some of the commissioning data for public release, which is expected before the end of January. The first call for early science observations is expected in early February.