Press Releases

The Outskirts of the Southern Pinwheel Galaxy

Photo Release: 6 Dec. 2024 — noirlab2429

Dark Energy Camera Spies the Outskirts of the Swirling Southern Pinwheel Galaxy

Twelve million light-years away lies the galactic masterpiece Messier 83, also known as the Southern Pinwheel Galaxy. Its swirling spiral arms display a high rate of star formation and have been host to six observed supernovae. This image was captured with the Department of Energy-fabricated Dark Energy Camera, mounted on the U.S. National Science Foundation Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, a Program of NSF NOIRLab.
Nicholas U. Mayall 4-meter Telescope and the Milky Way

Organization Release: 19 Nov. 2024 — noirlab2428

DESI Provides Best Test Yet of How Gravity Behaves at Cosmic Scales

Researchers have used the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) to map nearly six million galaxies across 11 billion years of cosmic history, allowing them to study how galaxies clustered throughout time and investigate the growth of the cosmic structure. This complex analysis of DESI’s first-year data provides one of the most stringent tests yet of Einstein’s general theory of relativity.
Artist’s Impression of Fastest-feeding Black Hole in the Early Universe

Science Release: 4 Nov. 2024 — noirlab2427

NSF NOIRLab Astronomers Discover the Fastest-Feeding Black Hole in the Early Universe

Using data from NASA's JWST and Chandra X-ray Observatory, a team of astronomers have discovered a supermassive black hole at the center of a galaxy just 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang that is consuming matter at a phenomenal rate — over 40 times the theoretical limit. While short lived, this black hole’s ‘feast’ could help astronomers explain how supermassive black holes grew so quickly in the early Universe.
NGC 1270: A Galactic Archipelago

Photo Release: 21 Oct. 2024 — noirlab2426

Gemini North Captures Galactic Archipelago Entangled In a Web Of Dark Matter

100 years ago Edwin Hubble discovered decisive evidence that other galaxies existed far beyond the Milky Way. This image, captured by the Gemini North telescope, one half of the International Gemini Observatory, features a portion of the enormous Perseus Cluster, showcasing its ‘island Universes’ in awe-inspiring detail. Observations of these objects continue to shed light not only on their individual characteristics, but also on cosmic mysteries such as dark matter.
Simonyi Survey Telescope Dedication Ceremony at Rubin Observatory

Organization Release: 11 Oct. 2024 — noirlab2425

Simonyi Survey Telescope Dedicated at NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory Ceremony

NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory celebrated a landmark moment in astronomy and astrophysics with the dedication of the Simonyi Survey Telescope on 4 October 2024. With the Simonyi family as guests of honor, Rubin Observatory recognized the pivotal role of Charles and Lisa Simonyi’s philanthropy in advancing construction of the Observatory and supporting research that will soon transform our understanding of the Universe.

Images of the Week

The Milky Way’s Unusual Twin in Pegasus

18 Dec. 2024 — iotw2451

The Milky Way’s Unusual Twin in Pegasus
Happy Holidays 2024

11 Dec. 2024 — iotw2450

Happy Holidays 2024
Mountaintop Neighbors

4 Dec. 2024 — iotw2449

Mountaintop Neighbors
The Path to Observation

27 Nov. 2024 — iotw2448

The Path to Observation
The Global Reach of Las Cumbres Observatory

20 Nov. 2024 — iotw2447

The Global Reach of Las Cumbres Observatory
Grandeur Around Gemini South

13 Nov. 2024 — iotw2446

Grandeur Around Gemini South
Gemini North’s Volatile Neighbor

6 Nov. 2024 — iotw2445

Gemini North’s Volatile Neighbor
A Stargazer’s View from Kitt Peak

30 Oct. 2024 — iotw2444

A Stargazer’s View from Kitt Peak
Eclipse near Moonrise

23 Oct. 2024 — iotw2443

Eclipse near Moonrise
Time-Domain Astronomy at Cerro Tololo

16 Oct. 2024 — iotw2442

Time-Domain Astronomy at Cerro Tololo

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Gabriel Pérez inside Gemini North mirror cell

18 Dec. 2024

A Sketch Says a Thousand Words

If you come to Gabriel Pérez Zúñiga with a problem, there’s a good chance you’ll be getting a sketch. The Principal Mechanical Engineer doesn’t just want you to know how to fix things — he also wants you to understand how they work. For five decades Perez’s sketches and methodical approach to problem-solving inspired his colleagues, and his engineering expertise helped get three major NSF NOIRLab telescopes off the ground.
The Lobster Nebula seen with ESO’s VISTA telescope

4 Dec. 2024

NSF NOIRLab Astronomers and the Vista Variables in the Vía Láctea Survey

The Vista Variables in the Vía Láctea (VVV) survey, and its extension VVVX, have produced the most detailed map ever of the Milky Way Galaxy’s inner regions in infrared light. Over 13 years these surveys collected vast amounts of data, built international collaborations, laid a roadmap for future research and shaped the careers of five NSF NOIRLab scientists.
Ron Harris

27 Sept. 2024

Crafting a Legacy in the NOIRLab Instrument Shop

From visiting the shop as a young boy, to working as a machinist apprentice, to supervising his own crew, Ron Harris has been a part of the NOIRLab Instrument Shop’s story for over 50 years. Now he leads a team of expert craftspeople in designing and building specialized parts for U.S. National Science Foundation telescopes across the globe.
Leinani Lozi

4 Sept. 2024

Leinani Lozi Honored with 40 Under 40 Award

NSF NOIRLab’s Education and Engagement Manager in Hawai‘i Leinani Lozi has been recognized by Pacific Business News Honolulu for her leadership in community-centered educational programming centered on astronomy and Hawaiian values, which has established her as a pioneer and changemaker in Hawaiʻi and the astronomy industry.
Dark Energy Camera Deep Image

10 July 2024

AI Aids in Search for Cosmic Gems in Ocean of Data

A new kind of quandary faced by modern astronomers is how to uncover cosmic gems within vast treasure troves of data. With increasingly large sky surveys underway, astronomers need innovative techniques to sift through the data quickly and effectively. So a team of astronomers have turned to the powers of artificial intelligence to find a particular type of astronomical gem that can mistakenly be overlooked when buried in an ocean of data.

Our Programs

Logo of the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory

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.

Logo of the Community Science and Data Center

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.

Logo of the Kitt Peak National Observatory

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

Logo of the International Gemini Observatory

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

Logo of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory

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.