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Press Releases


DECam Images RCW 86, Remains of Supernova Witnessed in 185

Photo Release: 1 March 2023 — noirlab2307

Supernova From the Year 185: A Rare View of the Entirety of This Supernova Remnant

The tattered shell of the first-ever historically recorded supernova was captured by the US Department of Energy-fabricated Dark Energy Camera, which is mounted on the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, a Program of NSF’s NOIRLab. RCW 86’s ring of debris is all that remains of a white-dwarf star that exploded more than 1800 years ago, when it was recorded by Chinese stargazers as a ‘guest star’.

Image of Abell 3158, Part of the DESI Legacy Imaging Survey

Organization Release: 23 Feb. 2023 — noirlab2306

Over One Billion Galaxies Blaze Bright in Colossal Map of the Sky

The largest two-dimensional map of the sky ever made has grown even larger with the tenth data release from the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys — a monumental six-year survey covering nearly half the sky. This new data release adds increased sky and wavelength coverage to the already completed surveys made with data from NSF’s NOIRLab telescopes at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona and Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile.

NOIRLab at Journey Through the Universe 2020

Organization Release: 16 Feb. 2023 — noirlab2305

Journey Through the Universe Returns to Hilo Classes

Journey Through the Universe — a partnership among NSF’s NOIRLab/Gemini, the Hawaiʻi Department of Education Hilo-Waiākea Complex Area, and the TMT International Observatory — returns to its in-person format to share with Hawai‘i students the wonders of the Universe and awareness of careers in science and technology. This year’s exciting program includes classroom presentations, career panels, a teacher workshop and more!

Galactic Immigration in the Andromeda Galaxy

Science Release: 8 Feb. 2023 — noirlab2304

Footprints of Galactic Immigration Uncovered in Andromeda Galaxy

A team of researchers led by astronomers at NSF’s NOIRLab has uncovered striking new evidence for a mass migration of stars into the Andromeda Galaxy. Intricate patterns in the motions of stars reveal an immigration history very similar to that of the Milky Way. The new results were obtained with the DOE’s Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument on the Nicholas U. Mayall 4-meter Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory, a Program of NSF’s NOIRLab.

Artist’s Impression of Kilonova Progenitor Star System

Science Release: 1 Feb. 2023 — noirlab2303

First Kilonova Progenitor System Identified

Astronomers using data from the SMARTS 1.5-meter Telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), a Program of NSF's NOIRLab, have made the first confirmed detection of a star system that will one day form a kilonova — the ultra-powerful, gold-producing explosion created by merging neutron stars. These systems are so phenomenally rare that only about 10 such systems are thought to exist in the entire Milky Way.

Gemini North Primary Mirror Status

For updates on the status of the Gemini North primary mirror, please visit this page.

Coronavirus COVID-19 Measures at NOIRLab

We are currently only hosting public visitors at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile. Given the continuously evolving nature of the pandemic, we currently do not have a reopening date for our other summit sites or base facilities. When these dates are available we will share them on our website and social media. The timeline may be different for each site.

Read more.

Announcements


17 March 2023 — ann23012 Banner for AstroDay Chile

AstroDay Chile Returns in 2023 with Exciting In-Person Activities

After two consecutive years of virtual activities, AstroDay Chile, organized by NSF’s NOIRLab, returns as an in-person celebration on Friday 24 March, the National Day of Astronomy in Chile, with fun activities for the whole family at the Colegio Semin...

15 March 2023 — rubinann23004 Rubin Observatory Logo

Rubin Digest 14 March 2023

Project & Science News

This year’s Rubin Project and Community Workshop (PCW), the first PCW facilitated by the Rubin Operations team, will take place the week of August 7-11, 2023, at the Marriott University Park in Tucson, AZ. We hope to make so...

13 March 2023 — ann23011 New Globe at Night Website Launches

Globe at Night Launches New Website for 2023

Globe at Night is an international, online, citizen-science campaign run by NSF’s NOIRLab to raise public awareness of the impact of light pollution by inviting citizen-scientists to measure night-sky brightness and submit their observations. Thanks to...

7 March 2023 — rubinann23003 Rubin Observatory Logo

Rubin Observatory Digest for 22 February 2023

Project & Science News 

Remember to mark your calendars for the Rubin Observatory Project and Community Workshop, scheduled for August 7-11, 2023 in Tucson, AZ. More information will be available soon. 

On February 17th, Rubin Construction and NO...

2 March 2023 — ann23010 5000 Eyes: Mapping the Universe with DESI

New DESI Planetarium Show Available for Download

A stunning new documentary film featuring recent discoveries from the Department of Energy’s Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) at Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) has been released and is free to download for planetariums worldwide. 5000...

27 Feb. 2023 — ann23009 Kitt Peak at Night

IAU and Astronomy Groups Petition the UN to Address the Impact of Satellites on Dark and Quiet Skies

The proliferation of satellites launched into orbit around the Earth has improved our ability to communicate globally instantaneously; however, there are concerns about the impact these technologies have on astronomical observations and the preservatio...

9 Feb. 2023 — ann23008 Dara Norman

NOIRLab’s Dara Norman President-Elect of the American Astronomical Society

Dara Norman, NOIRLab’s Community Science and Data Center (CSDC) Deputy Director, has been elected President of the American Astronomical Society (AAS). She will serve as President-Elect for the next year and will begin her two-year term as President in...

7 Feb. 2023 — rubinann23002 Rubin Observatory Logo

Rubin Digest 07 February 2023

Project & Science News

Save the date for the Rubin Observatory Project and Community Workshop! Rubin 2023 (also known as the PCW), is scheduled for August 7-11, 2023 in Tucson, AZ. We’ll share more information when it’s available. 

February is Bl...

2 Feb. 2023 — ann23007 Love the Stars 2023

Globe at Night Encourages Public to ‘Love the Stars’ in February 2023

Globe at Night is an international, online, citizen-science campaign, run by NSF’s NOIRLab to raise public awareness of the impact of light pollution by inviting citizen-scientists to measure and submit their night-sky brightness observations. 

This F...

31 Jan. 2023 — ann23006 Catharine Garmany

NOIRLab’s Catharine Garmany Named 2022 AAAS Fellow

Catharine Garmany, Scientist Emerita at NSF’s NOIRLab, has been named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Election as an AAAS Fellow is an honor bestowed upon AAAS members by their peers.

Garmany was elected as ...

27 Jan. 2023 — ann23005 Lucas Macri

New Project Director for NOIRLab US-ELT Program Appointed

NOIRLab is pleased to announce the appointment of Lucas Macri as the new Project Director of NOIRLab’s part of the US Extremely Large Telescope Program (US-ELTP). The US-ELTP is a joint initiative of NSF’s NOIRLab and the organizations building the Gia...

25 Jan. 2023 — rubinann23001 Rubin Observatory Logo

Rubin Digest 25 January 2023

Project & Science News

Rubin Observatory was highly visible at the winter meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS241) in Seattle WA on January 8-12. In addition to numerous presentations and posters highlighting Rubin/LSST science, Rubin...

10 Jan. 2023 — ann23004 Circumpolar Laser Tests at Gemini North

NSF and SpaceX Sign Agreement to Mitigate Impact of Starlink Satellites on Ground-Based Astronomy

The National Science Foundation (NSF) and SpaceX have finalized a coordination agreement to mitigate the impact of the company’s Starlink satellites on ground-based radio-, optical-, and infrared-astronomy facilities. The NSF’s public statement is here...

9 Jan. 2023 — ann23003 NOIRLab Mirror: Issue 04

January Issue of the NOIRLab Mirror Newsletter Published

The fourth (January 2023) edition of The NOIRLab Mirror newsletter is now available. This biannual publication focuses on news for the NOIRLab community and showcases the science, technology, and developments across the five NOIRLab Programs: the Commu...

6 Jan. 2023 — ann23002 New Gemini Logo

International Gemini Observatory Launches New Logo

The International Gemini Observatory has unveiled a new logo that celebrates the combined legacy of the twin Gemini telescopes and their new capabilities and instrumentation. 

The redesigned logo retains the classic gold-color concept from its predece...

5 Jan. 2023 — ann23001 NOIRLab Capabilities 2023

New Publications Highlight the Unparalleled Capabilities of NSF’s NOIRLab

The more we learn about the Universe, the more questions we uncover. To help astronomers continue this journal of discovery, NOIRLab provides some of the most advanced tools, facilities, and instruments to the international research community. These re...

14 Dec. 2022 — ann22034 Visitors at CTIO during the 2019 solar eclipse

Public Visits Restarting at NSF’s NOIRLab Cerro Tololo in Chile

NSF’s NOIRLab is proud to announce the planned restart of public visits at its Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) in Chile.

Visits to our scientific facilities are only one of many ways NOIRLab helps share the wonders of discovery and the ...

13 Dec. 2022 — rubinann22022 Rubin Observatory Logo

Rubin Digest 13 December 2022

Project & Science News

A holiday message from the Rubin Construction and Rubin Operations leadership teams: It has been a challenging and productive year for the Rubin Observatory team. We are thankful for having the opportunity to work on s...

2 Dec. 2022 — ann22033 Trail left by BlueWalker 3 over Kitt Peak National Observatory

IAU, NOIRLab, and SKAO Statement on BlueWalker 3

The International Astronomical Union, NSF’s NOIRLab, and the SKA Observatory unite to express their concern about the recently launched prototype BlueWalker 3 satellite’s impact on astronomy. New measurements reveal that this low Earth orbiting satelli...

23 Nov. 2022 — rubinann22021 Rubin Observatory Logo

Rubin Digest 22 November 2022

Project & Science News

On Cerro Pachón, the Commissioning team recently took preliminary data with the Star Tracker, which was installed on the Telescope Mount Assembly (TMA) in early November. During this engineering campaign, they achieved focus...

Images of the Week


A legendary nebula

15 March 2023 — iotw2311

A legendary nebula

Maunakea by Moonlight

8 March 2023 — iotw2310

Maunakea by Moonlight

The Isolation of Gemini South

1 March 2023 — iotw2309

The Isolation of Gemini South

Kitt Peak at Dusk

22 Feb. 2023 — iotw2308

Kitt Peak at Dusk

Under the Dome

15 Feb. 2023 — iotw2307

Under the Dome

Recently Discovered Dwarf Galaxy Donatiello II

8 Feb. 2023 — iotw2306

Recently Discovered Dwarf Galaxy Donatiello II

A Sky for Discovery

1 Feb. 2023 — iotw2305

A Sky for Discovery

High, Dry and Covered in Snow

25 Jan. 2023 — iotw2304

High, Dry and Covered in Snow

A Breeze of Color

18 Jan. 2023 — iotw2303

A Breeze of Color

An Expansive Universe

11 Jan. 2023 — iotw2302

An Expansive Universe

Learn More


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Galactic Rainbow

16 March 2023

Dark Sky Protection: We Are Losing the Universe

PIA17448

10 March 2023

Tracing Dark Matter Across the Spectrum and Across the Cosmos

JWST Image of Galaxies

16 Feb. 2023

Unveiling Networks of Stellar Nurseries in Nearby Galaxies

Recently Discovered Dwarf Galaxy Donatiello II

10 Feb. 2023

Getting to Know our Galactic Neighborhood

Babak Tafreshi

26 Jan. 2023

Photographing the World at Night: First of NOIRLab’s Ambassadors Program

Our Programs


From the first observations in 1965, Cerro Tololo, located in Chile, has served as the principal platform for U.S. astronomical investigation of the southern skies.

Programs within the Community Science and Data Center support and enable a broad range of astronomical community science activities across the US ground-based optical and infrared system.

Founded in 1958, Kitt Peak National Observatory is home to one of the largest arrays of optical and radio telescopes in the world.

The Gemini Observatory consists of twin 8.1-meter diameter optical/infrared telescopes located on two of the best observing sites on the planet.

Vera C. Rubin Observatory, currently under construction on Cerro Pachón in Chile, is an 8-meter-class telescope coupled to a 3.2-gigapixel camera – the world’s largest digital camera ever fabricated for optical astronomy.

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info@noirlab.edu

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Discovering Our Universe Together

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NSF’s NOIRLab is the preeminent US national center for ground-based, nighttime optical and infrared astronomy. The Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. (AURA) operates these facilities and NSF’s NOIRLab under a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation (NSF).