Press Releases

Corona Australis Molecular Cloud

Photo Release: 16 July 2026 — noirlab2617

The Starry Night Redux

The 570-megapixel Department of Energy-fabricated Dark Energy Camera (DECam) captures a vibrant scene, filled with swirls and stars reminiscent of Van Gogh’s The Starry Night. This new cosmic masterpiece features glowing nebula NGC 6729 on the left and globular star cluster NGC 6723 on the right. DECam is 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.
Ocean of Stars

Organization Release: 30 June 2026 — noirlab2616

Action! NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory Begins Capturing the Greatest Cosmic Movie Ever Made

The wait is over: NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory, funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science, is now capturing the cosmos in unprecedented detail, transforming the way we study the dynamic Universe.
Composite of Gemini North and ALMA images of "Shadow Blaster"

Science Release: 17 June 2026 — noirlab2615

Tracing a Neutrino Ghost to Distant “Shadow Blaster” Galaxy

A team of astronomers has identified a remarkably bright, gravitationally-lensed, star-forming galaxy as the likely source of the high-energy neutrino event IC 210922A, detected by the IceCube Neutrino Observatory in 2021. The galaxy, nicknamed “Shadow Blaster,” is located about 11 billion light-years away, providing the most concrete observational evidence yet that populations of distant star-forming galaxies play a significant role in producing high-energy cosmic neutrinos.
Artist’s illustration of hot Jupiter with magnetic field

Science Release: 2 June 2026 — noirlab2614

Strange Winds Reveal Strongest Hints Yet of Magnetic Activity in Exoplanets

Using the Gemini North telescope in Hawai‘i and the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope, a team of astronomers measured wind speeds on seven very hot, Jupiter-like exoplanets. The observations revealed that the winds on these planets are most likely governed by magnetic fields, providing the first robust measurement of magnetic activity on planets outside the Solar System.
NGC 1514: The Crystal Ball Nebula

Photo Release: 21 May 2026 — noirlab2613

Gaze into the Crystal Ball Nebula and See the Light Emitted by a Dying Star 1500 Years Ago

The 8.1-meter Gemini North telescope, located on the summit of Maunakea in Hawai‘i, has captured NGC 1514, nicknamed the Crystal Ball Nebula, in awe-inspiring detail. This nebula, with its mesmerizing glow of gas, harbors hints of a past stellar death, and its asymmetrical shell is now being shaped by the pair of binary stars that lie at its center.

Images of the Week

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory December 2025 Image of Interstellar Traveler

15 July 2026 — iotw2628

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory December 2025 Image of Interstellar Traveler
Sunset Before Rubin’s First Look

8 July 2026 — iotw2627

Sunset Before Rubin’s First Look
Not Your Typical Stargazing

1 July 2026 — iotw2626

Not Your Typical Stargazing
Anticrepuscular Rays and a Lunar Eclipse

24 June 2026 — iotw2625

Anticrepuscular Rays and a Lunar Eclipse
Gemini North Spots the Changing Comet 3I/ATLAS

16 June 2026 — iotw2624

Gemini North Spots the Changing Comet 3I/ATLAS
Night Arrives at NSF–DOE Rubin

10 June 2026 — iotw2623

Night Arrives at NSF–DOE Rubin
Don’t Miss the Meteor!

3 June 2026 — iotw2622

Don’t Miss the Meteor!
Dancing in the Moonlight at CTIO

27 May 2026 — iotw2621

Dancing in the Moonlight at CTIO
Stars Sweep Through the Sky Over Gemini South

20 May 2026 — iotw2620

Stars Sweep Through the Sky Over Gemini South
Following the Stars with Rubin

13 May 2026 — iotw2619

Following the Stars with Rubin

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Petr Horálek photographing on Maunakea Hawai‘i

1 July 2026

NOIRLab on Camera

NSF NOIRLab Audiovisual Ambassadors Mahdi Zamani, Petr Horálek, Carlos Corco, Bruno Quint, and Theofanis Matsopoulos give a behind-the-lens look at how they visually translate the beauty of the night sky through captivating photos, videos, planetarium shows, and 360° footage to share NOIRLab’s story with the public. This blog serves as a glimpse into the pages of The Scope, NSF NOIRLab’s newest publication, available to read digitally now.
Collecting Data for Globe at Night

8 May 2026

Our Precious Dark Skies

Many hands make light work. Across NSF NOIRLab facilities, professionals band together to monitor and mitigate light pollution in an increasingly brighter world. This blog serves as a glimpse into the pages of The Scope, NSF NOIRLab’s newest publication, available to read digitally now.
Sunrise and Snow at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory

8 April 2026

A Decade Among Mountains and Stars

There are places where we work. And there are places where we leave a part of ourselves.
Kitt Peak Backup Water Source

19 Jan. 2026

Observatory Oasis

High on a remote mountaintop in the Sonoran Desert, U.S. National Science Foundation Kitt Peak National Observatory, a Program of NSF NOIRLab, depends on more than clear skies. Here, water is as precious as starlight. With no connection to municipal tapwater, the twenty-plus telescopes on the mountain rely on an intricate rainwater harvesting system that has been maintained for decades.
Korean flag raising at Gemini Observatory

26 Nov. 2025

25 Years of Gemini Part II: What Makes Gemini Observatory International Today?

In part two of our Gemini 25th Anniversary series, we dive into the international collaboration that helped establish the legacy of the International Gemini Observatory, and that now helps to shape its future. The International Gemini Observatory consists of twin 8.1-meter telescopes located in Chile and Hawai‘i. It is funded in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation and operated by NSF NOIRLab.

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.