Monster Black Hole Found in the Early Universe

Astronomers have discovered the second most distant quasar ever found, using the international Gemini Observatory and Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), Programs of NSF’s NOIRLab. It is also the first quasar to receive an indigenous...
25-Jun-2020 11:05 AM EDT Add to Favorites

Young Planets Bite the Dust

These orange swirls of dust are snapshots from the largest collection of sharp, detailed images of dusty debris disks around young stars — published this week by an international group of astronomers. The images — captured by the 8-meter Gemini...
24-Jun-2020 12:30 PM EDT Add to Favorites

Gemini Gets Lucky and Takes a Deep Dive Into Jupiter’s Clouds

Researchers using a technique known as “lucky imaging” with the Gemini North telescope on Hawaii’s Maunakea have collected some of the highest resolution images of Jupiter ever obtained from the ground. These images are part of a multi-year...
7-May-2020 3:00 PM EDT Add to Favorites

Small but Mighty

Barnard’s Galaxy, a dwarf galaxy neighboring the Milky Way, is revealed in this stunning image from the Victor. M. Blanco 4-m telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, a program of NSF’s NOIRLab. The image reveals regions of...
17-Apr-2020 4:30 PM EDT Add to Favorites

Gemini Detects Most Energetic Wind from Distant Quasar

Researchers using the Gemini North telescope on Hawaiʻi’s Maunakea have detected the most energetic wind from any quasar ever measured. This outflow, which is travelling at nearly 13% of the speed of light, carries enough energy to dramatically...
15-Apr-2020 6:30 PM EDT Add to Favorites

Frank Hill Retires from the NSO

One of the National Science Foundation’s National Solar Observatory’s longest serving scientists, Frank Hill, retired March 30, 2020, capping more than 35-years of tenure. He held a variety of roles including assistant astronomer, scientist,...
7-Apr-2020 12:20 PM EDT Add to Favorites

Nighttime U.S. / International Astronomy Gets New Identity

NSF’s National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory, which in 2019 brought together NSF’s optical and infrared nighttime astronomy under one entity, will now go by the shortened name of NSF’s NOIRLab (no-wah-lab), abbreviated from...
3-Apr-2020 3:50 PM EDT Add to Favorites

Gemini South Telescope Captures Exquisite Planetary Nebula

The latest image from the international Gemini Observatory showcases the striking planetary nebula CVMP 1. This object is the result of the death throes of a giant star and is a glorious but relatively short-lived astronomical spectacle. As the...
24-Feb-2020 3:05 PM EST Add to Favorites

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