Press Releases

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 U.S. National Science Foundation NOIRLab 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.
Rosette Nebula Captured with DECam

Photo Release: 1 Oct. 2024 — noirlab2424

Radiant Stars at the Heart of a Cosmic Rose

Cradled within the fiery petals of the Rosette Nebula is NGC 2244, the young star cluster which it nurtured. The cluster’s stars light up the nebula in vibrant hues of red, gold and purple, and opaque towers of dust rise from the billowing clouds around its excavated core. This image, captured by the 570-megapixel Dark Energy Camera, is being released in celebration of NOIRLab’s fifth anniversary.
Kitt Peak Visitor Center Celebrates 60th Anniversary

Organization Release: 27 Sept. 2024 — noirlab2423

Kitt Peak Visitor Center Marks 60 Years of Sharing the Wonder of Our Night Sky

Today Kitt Peak Visitor Center celebrated 60 years of greeting visitors to the U.S. National Science Foundation Kitt Peak National Observatory. Since opening in 1964, the Visitor Center has welcomed more than two million guests to the mountain in its mission to inspire a sense of wonder and awe about the Universe through exhibits, daytime tours and nighttime public programs.

Images of the Week

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
Gemini and Sights of the South

9 Oct. 2024 — iotw2441

Gemini and Sights of the South
Comet Tsuchinshan–ATLAS over the McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope

30 Sept. 2024 — iotw2440

Comet Tsuchinshan–ATLAS over the McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope
The Tidal Tales of NGC 922

25 Sept. 2024 — iotw2439

The Tidal Tales of NGC 922
‘Seeing’ atop Cerro Pachón

18 Sept. 2024 — iotw2438

‘Seeing’ atop Cerro Pachón
Southern Treasures on the Horizon

11 Sept. 2024 — iotw2437

Southern Treasures on the Horizon
SARA South at Cerro Tololo

4 Sept. 2024 — iotw2436

SARA South at Cerro Tololo
Peaks on Peaks

28 Aug. 2024 — iotw2435

Peaks on Peaks

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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.
Gemini South's Primary Mirror

20 May 2024

Earthquakes and Thin Mirrors

With one telescope high in the Chilean mountains, and another on a towering dormant volcano, the International Gemini Observatory offers some of the world’s most pristine views of the night sky. But observing from these lofty altitudes sometimes means being close to a region of intense geological activity. So how do engineers protect the telescopes’ fragile mirrors from the risk of earthquake damage?
Close-up photo of DECam

22 April 2024

The Charge-Coupled Device: Revolutionizing How Astronomers See the Universe

In a flash the charge-coupled device ignited a revolution in astronomy, fundamentally altering our approach to exploring the cosmos while advancing many other areas of science and technology. What’s next?

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.