Announcements

29 October 2021: The SATCON2 workshop addressed a watershed moment in the transformation of space. In 2018, a few thousand operational satellites orbited the Earth. By 2030, there may be more than 100,000. A massive cloud of satellites presents significant to existential impacts on ground-based astronomy, and further impacts that extend to the environment, astro-tourism, and human health. While space offers many new frontiers and benefits to humanity, the sudden advance of spacefaring technology to the private sector comes with many side effects that should be carefully considered. SATCON2 brought together members of many communities: astronomy, satellite operators, environmental and dark-sky advocates, and representatives from diverse and underrepresented communities. The details of their comprehensive work are presented in 4 reports from the working groups — Observations, Algorithms, Community Engagement and Policy — which have been compiled and are being released today. The Observations and Algorithms working groups explored some SATCON1 recommendations directly, and …

22 October 2021: Members of the team that developed the Image Reduction and Analysis Facility (IRAF) software system are this year’s recipients of the Astronomical Data Analysis Software and Systems (ADASS) Prize for an Outstanding Contribution to Astronomical Software. This is the second year this prize has been awarded by the organization. Developed at the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), now NSF’s NOIRLab, IRAF is a general-purpose software system used for decades by numerous ground- and space-based observatories as a standard platform to reduce and analyze scientific data. The award is for the design and development of the core IRAF system and science packages, which have enabled almost 25,000 scientific papers since its first public release in 1986. The three recipients of the prize are NOIRLab scientist Frank Valdes and former NOAO staff members Doug Tody and Lindsey Davis. The award recognizes the outstanding contribution of IRAF to the astronomical software community and …

21 October 2021: Vera C. Rubin Observatory, which is under construction at Cerro Pachón in the Coquimbo Region of Chile, has broken two Guinness World Records. One record goes to the project's digital camera for having the highest resolution in the world, and the other recognizes the biggest of the camera’s three optical lenses as being the largest in the world. Funded by the US National Science Foundation (NSF) and Department of Energy (DOE), Rubin Observatory includes an NSF-funded world-class 8.4-meter telescope coupled to LSSTCam, a DOE-funded 3.2-gigapixel camera — the largest digital camera ever made for astronomy. Rubin Observatory's goal is to conduct a 10-year study of the sky that will deliver a huge volume of images and data, addressing some of the most pressing questions about the structure and evolution of the Universe, as well as dark energy and dark matter. Rubin Observatory will use its world’s-largest optical lens, measuring 1.57 …

21 October 2021: After nearly a decade of work, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has delivered the last of the six filters built for use with Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time Camera (LSSTCam). The filters have now all arrived at the US Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, where they will be integrated into the camera. “We’re all very excited,” said LLNL engineer Vincent Riot, who has been the Rubin LSSTCam camera manager for the past four years. “The optical lenses and filters have been a long time in the making. This project has been under way for about 10 years. Now, we’ll soon see the integration of all of the camera’s components as part of the telescope’s commissioning.” The six filters were fabricated using glass raw material from the state of New York, which was shipped to Thales Space SESO in France. Thales Space SESO shaped …

19 October 2021: Project & Science News Rubin Observatory leadership showcased recent accomplishments and discussed upcoming plans at this year’s National Science Foundation (NSF)/Department of Energy (DOE) Joint Status Review, which was held virtually October 4-7. The review panel congratulated the Project on notable progress made despite the COVID-19 pandemic, and commended the team for providing a path to a new baseline and project completion. The panel also recognized Steve Kahn, who will be stepping down as Rubin Observatory Director in 2022, for his two decades of leadership and dedication to the Project. The Rubin Auxiliary Telescope (AuxTel) was driven with the feature based scheduler for the first time during an observing run on October 5-7. The feature based scheduler is an extremely flexible software application to produce observing sequencing strategies. This is the same application that will drive the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) in the future, albeit with a …

15 October 2021: The Satellite Constellations 2 (SATCON2) workshop, held 12–16 July 2021, brought together more than 350 astronomers, satellite operators, dark-sky advocates, policy experts, and other stakeholders from 40 countries to discuss how to implement the strategies and recommendations emerging from the 2020 SATCON1 workshop to minimize the negative impacts of satellite constellations on astronomy and the night sky. The executive summary of the SATCON2 report is released today online. The full report, which will add the detailed reports of the four SATCON2 working groups to the Executive Summary, will be released in the near future. The primary goal of SATCON2 was to develop specific, implementable paths to carrying out the ten recommendations agreed on at SATCON1. SATCON2’s two additional goals were to engage a considerably wider group of stakeholders in the conversations than had been present at SATCON1 and to explore existing policy frameworks, generating ideas for the development of policies …

11 October 2021: In an exciting milestone at Cerro Pachón in Chile, Vera C. Rubin Observatory's telescope mount assembly was manually rotated in azimuth and elevation for the first time since testing at the Asturfeito factory in Spain. This test of the hydrostatic bearing system was successfully conducted in mid-September 2021. The telescope mount left Spain and was shipped to Chile in August 2019. Once all the components of the mount had arrived on Cerro Pachón in Chile, the process of installing it in the summit facility began, but then had to be put on hold in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the approximately 10 months that construction was either completely halted or confined to essential activities, the mount was stored safely inside the dome (which wasn’t complete yet) under a weatherproof tarp and inspected regularly by the small teams who were permitted to visit the summit. Completing the dome …

8 October 2021: The Mid-Scale Observatories (MSO) program of NSF NOIRLab is pleased to announce the appointment of Michelle Edwards as Associate Director of Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO). Edwards completed her undergraduate studies with a BS in Physics and Astronomy from Dickinson College in Pennsylvania and earned her PhD in Astronomy from the University of Florida. Her thesis work included extensive involvement with the Canarias InfraRed Camera Experiment (CIRCE), a near-infrared instrument for the 10.4-meter Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC). Edwards is no stranger to the NOIRLab family. As a Gemini Observatory Science Post-Doctoral Fellow, she acted as project lead during the commissioning of the Gemini South Adaptive Optics Imager (GSAOI), the near-infrared imager for use with Gemini’s state-of-the-art multi-conjugate adaptive optics system, GeMS. In this role, Edwards was responsible for managing GSAOI project resources, writing commissioning plans, interfacing with software, science, and engineering teams, and interacting with the Australian National University (ANU) …

5 October 2021: Project & Science News Read the details about the recent rotation of the Telescope Mount Assembly (TMA) on Cerro Pachón, in elevation and azimuth, in this recent news item, which also features a video of the event. The Commissioning Camera (ComCam) imager was restarted in August, shortly after ComCam was mounted on the integrator assembly in the integration hall of the summit facility (Level 3). The integrator assembly, which will be integrated with the TMA in early 2022, is resting on the main camera transport cart and includes ComCam, the refrigeration pathfinder, camera rotator and hexapod, camera cable wrap, and various utilities. ComCam continues to operate, and is providing a valuable test platform for system verification and commissioning activities. Testing of the integration assembly is also underway, with a current focus on full camera rotator range verification. Recent photos are available in the Gallery. The LSST Camera Major Item of …

21 September 2021: Project & Science News It’s official, two components of Rubin Observatory have made it into Guinness World Records! The Rubin Observatory LSST Camera is the world’s highest resolution digital camera, and the camera’s L1 lens is the world’s largest lens. What other world records will Rubin Observatory achieve? The mass simulator for the Rubin Observatory LSST Camera was shipped from SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC) on September 3rd, 2021, and arrived successfully on the summit of Cerro Pachón, in Chile, on September 13th. This shipment was an important test run for the delicate LSST Camera, which is scheduled to ship to Chile from SLAC next year. The entire shipment process was carefully monitored and tested to record any events that might indicate the possibility of damage to the LSST Camera. Read the details in this news item. The u-band filter for the LSST Camera has been installed in its frame …

16 September 2021: Today Sian Proctor, a participant in the Astronomy in Chile Educator Ambassadors Program (ACEAP) has successfully piloted the Inspiration4 mission carrying her and three other crew members in the SpaceX Dragon Spacecraft to orbit. Proctor is one of four African-American women to have flown into space and the first to pilot a spacecraft. The Inspiration4 crew will orbit Earth for three days and conduct a variety of experiments before returning to Earth. Proctor, selected as an astronaut by SpaceX in April 2021, is a geoscientist, explorer, space artist, and science communication specialist with a passion for space exploration. Her motto is Space2inspire, and she encourages people to use their unique, one-of-a-kind strengths and passion to inspire those within their reach and beyond. “I feel so fortunate to be a member of the Inspiration4 crew and to be able to use Space2inspire to impact educators from around the world,” Proctor said. …

8 September 2021: Project & Science News At SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, the integrated LSST Camera cryostat and utility trunk was successfully lifted onto its test bench in mid-August (photo here). The work was planned and executed by a team that included Rubin staff, SLAC Contract Assurance, SLAC Environment, Safety & Health (ES&H) and the Bay Area Site Office. This ~$100M assembly is the core of the final camera; it contains the 201 sensors and all the supporting electronics, vacuum and cooling on-camera systems. The installation of this assembly on the test bench will enable completion of the next phase of testing, before further integration of the LSST Camera. The LSST Camera Major Item of Equipment (MIE) project Critical Design (CD)-4 independent project review was conducted on August 19th and confirmed completion of the Camera Department of Energy (DOE) Key Performance Parameters—a major step towards formally closing the MIE project. The remaining Camera …

26 August 2021: Awarded to an individual or individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the public understanding and appreciation of astronomy, the Astronomical Society of the Pacific’s Klumpke-Roberts Award for 2021 goes to Lars Lindberg Christensen, Head of Communications, Education, and Engagement at NSF’s NOIRLab. The award recognizes Christensen for more than 30 years of bringing science to the public and increasing awareness of the Universe and its role in human understanding. Christensen’s leadership in the field of astronomy communication to the public began with a keen interest in astronomy and a vision for science communication. By spearheading the communication and education of large science organizations, such as the European Space Agency’s Hubble Space Telescope operation, the European Southern Observatory (ESO), and the International Astronomical Union (IAU), along with his efforts in building a global community of astronomy communicators through outreach, technology, and global connections, Christensen has given people the ability to …

25 August 2021: Just as an enormous influx of big data is poised to transform the field of astronomy and astrophysics, a new fellowship program is poised to take advantage of the opportunity. The LSST Corporation (LSSTC), a non-profit consortium of approximately 30 research institutions, has received $7 million to establish the LSSTC Catalyst Fellowship funded by the John Templeton Foundation, which will support early career researchers in astrophysics and in social sciences as they study big data generated from the soon-to-be-completed Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile. Rubin Observatory is operated jointly by NSF’s NOIRLab and the US Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC). Announced at the Rubin 2021 Program and Community Workshop this month, the program is the first fellowship of its kind. Researchers from disparate fields — including those from traditionally underrepresented groups and institutions — will converge to pursue an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to science. The fellowship …

18 August 2021: Project & Science News This year’s Rubin Observatory Project and Community Workshop (Rubin 2021) wrapped up on Friday, August 13. The 5-day meeting was held virtually again this year, and set a new record: 828 registrants! The workshop covered topics important to Construction, Operations, science, and community engagement. More details about the meeting can be found in this news item. We encourage everyone who attended to fill out the exit survey (available through August 27th), which is linked from the meeting website (login required). The AURA Roman-Rubin Synergy Working Group is soliciting “science pitches” from the community that incorporate synergies between Rubin Observatory and the NASA Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. The deadline for submission is August 31, 2021. More information is available on the AAS website. All six of the LSST Camera filters have now been delivered to the Rubin Construction Project by the coating vendor, with excellent performance. …

13 August 2021: The Chilean Minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation, Andrés Couve, accompanied by the Coquimbo Region’s representative of the Science Ministry, María José Escobar, visited the AURA–NOIRLab sites in northern Chile on 11 August 2021 to learn more about the latest developments. They were accompanied by Vice President and Director of AURA in Chile, Mario Hamuy, as they visited Cerro Pachón in the Chilean Andes with stops at Gemini South, part of the international Gemini Observatory, and the Vera C. Rubin Observatory construction site. Gemini Observatory and Rubin Observatory are both Programs of NSF NOIRLab. Minister Couve highlighted the importance of having science investments in Chile such as those made by AURA–NOIRLab, stating, “These mega-investments, in addition to having a great impact on science, also have a positive impact on the regional and national economy, whether in the creation of jobs, entrepreneurship, or in the transition to an economy based …

27 July 2021: Project & Science News The detailed agenda for the Rubin 2021 Project and Community Workshop (PCW) is now available on the meeting website (login required). It’s only visible to those who registered for the meeting, so if you can’t see it, make sure to register! The PCW will be held virtually, August 9-13. Two significant new developments have recently taken place at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. On July 22nd, the LSST Camera team received the z and y band filters from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), marking the halfway point of the full set of six filters arriving at SLAC (the remaining three filters are expected to arrive in a few weeks). The team at SLAC also completed the integration of the camera utility trunk with the camera cryostat, which will allow them to restart the electro-optical testing of the full focal plane using the final refrigeration system and all …

14 July 2021: Project & Science News Rubin Observatory Construction is pleased to introduce an updated mission statement: Build a well-understood system that will produce an unprecedented astronomical data set for studies of the deep and dynamic universe, make the data widely accessible to a diverse community of scientists, and engage the public to explore the Universe with us. This updated statement acknowledges the importance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts taking place across the project. The Rubin 2021 Project and Community Workshop (PCW) is less than a month away! If you haven’t already signed up, we encourage you to visit this link (login required) and register today. The meeting will be held virtually, August 9-13. If you’d like to give a flash talk for the Rubin Research Bytes (RRB) session, or indicate interest in participating in an anti-racism workshop, please register for the meeting by Friday, July 16th. Rubin Observatory announces an …

12 July 2021: NOIRLab's new Science website launched today, 12 July 2021. The science website is the culmination of months of work by dozens of NOIRLab staff to migrate information for the science community — current users of our facilities, and prospective users — from existing websites. Several new features are now available on the Science website: There are a number of new NOIRLab pages, spanning the observatories we operate, such as, About NOIRLab, Programs & Projects, Observing at NOIRLab, Data Services, and Weather and Webcams . A new Code of Conduct for NOIRLab meetings. A meetings database which lists past meetings and their web pages. A News page containing an archive of all past Currents and Gemini e-Newscast articles and will host all future science user announcements. Two different monthly Newsletters will be sent to our community, one focusing on Gemini news, and one with all news from all NOIRLab Programs (including …

12 July 2021: On Friday, 16 July 2021, astronomers will discuss findings from the Satellite Constellations 2 (SATCON2) workshop during a virtual press conference hosted by NSF’s NOIRLab and the American Astronomical Society (AAS). The briefing, to be conducted via Zoom, will begin at 4:00 pm US Eastern Daylight Time (20:00 UTC) and last 1 hour. Registration is free to accredited media representatives; instructions appear below. SATCON2 will gather more than 350 astronomers, satellite operators, dark-sky advocates, policy experts, and other stakeholders from 40 countries to discuss how to implement the strategies and recommendations emerging from SATCON1 to minimize the negative impacts of satellite constellations on astronomy and the night sky. SATCON2 has three objectives: Define and quantify resources, metrics, and collaborations needed to implement the SATCON1 recommendations, many of which will require substantial effort and funds to address. Engage astronomers and satellite operators collaboratively in exploring policy frameworks and developing policy strategies …