Press Releases 2020

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id="body"> <div class="row no-page"> <div class="col-md-12"> <div class="archive-search outside"><a href="/public/news/search/" class="advanced-search" data-container="body" data-toggle="tooltip" data-placement="left" aria-label="Advanced Search" title="Advanced Search"><span class="fa fa-plus"></span></a><form class="form-inline" role="form" action="/public/news/" method="GET"><div class="form-group"><div class="input-group"><input id="id_archivesearch" type="text" value="" placeholder="Search Press Releases..." name="search" class="form-control input-sm" /><span class="input-group-btn"><button aria-label="Search" class="btn btn-default btn-sm" type="submit"><span class="fa fa-search"></span></button></span></div></div></form></div> </div> </div> <div class="row no-page"> <div class="col-md-12"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-10"> <h1>Press Releases 2020 <a href="/public/news/feed/" class="listviewrsslink" aria-label="RSS feed"><span class="fa fa-rss"></span></a></h1> </div> <div class="col-md-12 media-categories" style="min-height: 0"> <ul> <li><a href="/public/news/">All</a></li> <li><a href="/public/news/archive/program/ctio/">Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory</a></li> <li><a href="/public/news/archive/program/csdc/">Community Science & Data Center</a></li> <li><a href="/public/news/archive/program/gemini/">Gemini Observatory</a></li> <li><a href="/public/news/archive/program/kpno/">Kitt Peak National Observatory</a></li> <li><a href="/public/news/archive/program/noao/">NOAO</a></li> <li><a href="/public/news/archive/program/noirlab/">NOIRLab</a></li> <li><a href="/public/news/archive/program/useltp/">US Extremely Large Telescope Program</a></li> <li><a href="/public/news/archive/program/rubin/">Vera C. Rubin Observatory</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-md-12"> <a href="/public/subscribe/" class="esonews_link">Subscribe to receive news from NOIRLab!</a> <div class="row news-list news-list-overflow"> <div class="col-md-3 col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a href="/public/news/noirlab2030/"> <div class="news-wrapper"> <div class="news-image"> <img class="img-responsive" alt="Dark Energy Camera Snaps Deepest Photo yet of Galactic Siblings" src="/public/media/archives/images/thumb350x/noirlab2030a.jpg"> </div> <div class="news-description"> <div class="news-id" aria-label="noirlab2030 — Photo Release">noirlab2030 — Photo Release</div> <div class="news-title" role="heading" aria-level="1" aria-label="Dark Energy Camera Snaps Deepest Photo yet of Galactic Siblings">Dark Energy Camera Snaps Deepest Photo yet of Galactic Siblings</div> <div class="news-teaser" aria-label="1 December 2020: Images from the Survey of the MAgellanic Stellar History (SMASH) reveal a striking family portrait of our galactic neighbors — the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. The images represent a portion of the second data release from the deepest, most extensive survey of the Magellanic Clouds. The observations consist of roughly 4 billion measurements of 360 million objects."><strong>1 December 2020</strong>: Images from the Survey of the MAgellanic Stellar History (SMASH) reveal a striking family portrait of our galactic neighbors — the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. The images represent a portion of the second data release from the deepest, most extensive survey of the Magellanic Clouds. The observations consist of roughly 4 billion measurements of 360 million objects.</div> </div> <div class="news-readmore" aria-label="Read more">Read more</div> </div>  </a> </div> <div class="col-md-3 col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a href="/public/news/noirlab2029/"> <div class="news-wrapper"> <div class="news-image"> <img class="img-responsive" alt="Blast from the Past" src="/public/media/archives/images/thumb350x/noirlab2029a.jpg"> </div> <div class="news-description"> <div class="news-id" aria-label="noirlab2029 — Science Release">noirlab2029 — Science Release</div> <div class="news-title" role="heading" aria-level="1" aria-label="Blast from the Past">Blast from the Past</div> <div class="news-teaser" aria-label="24 November 2020: An international team of astronomers using Gemini North’s GNIRS instrument have discovered that CK Vulpeculae, first seen as a bright new star in 1670, is approximately five times farther away than previously thought. This makes the 1670 explosion of CK Vulpeculae much more energetic than previously estimated and puts it into a mysterious class of objects that are too bright to be members of the well-understood type of explosions known as novae, but too faint to be supernovae."><strong>24 November 2020</strong>: An international team of astronomers using Gemini North’s GNIRS instrument have discovered that CK Vulpeculae, first seen as a bright new star in 1670, is approximately five times farther away than previously thought. This makes the 1670 explosion of CK Vulpeculae much more energetic than previously estimated and puts it into a mysterious class of objects that are too bright to be members of the well-understood type of explosions known as novae, but too faint to be supernovae.</div> </div> <div class="news-readmore" aria-label="Read more">Read more</div> </div>  </a> </div> <div class="col-md-3 col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a href="/public/news/noirlab2028/"> <div class="news-wrapper"> <div class="news-image"> <img class="img-responsive" alt="Maunakea Telescopes Confirm First Brown Dwarf Discovered by Radio Observations" src="/public/media/archives/images/thumb350x/noirlab2028a.jpg"> </div> <div class="news-description"> <div class="news-id" aria-label="noirlab2028 — Science Release">noirlab2028 — Science Release</div> <div class="news-title" role="heading" aria-level="1" aria-label="Maunakea Telescopes Confirm First Brown Dwarf Discovered by Radio Observations">Maunakea Telescopes Confirm First Brown Dwarf Discovered by Radio Observations</div> <div class="news-teaser" aria-label="9 November 2020: A collaboration between the LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR) radio telescope in Europe, the Gemini North telescope, and the NASA InfraRed Telescope Facility (IRTF), both on Maunakea in Hawai‘i, has led to the first direct discovery of a cold brown dwarf from its radio wavelength emission. Along with paving the way for future brown dwarf discoveries, this result is an important step towards applying radio astronomy to the exciting field of exoplanets."><strong>9 November 2020</strong>: A collaboration between the LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR) radio telescope in Europe, the Gemini North telescope, and the NASA InfraRed Telescope Facility (IRTF), both on Maunakea in Hawai‘i, has led to the first direct discovery of a cold brown dwarf from its radio wavelength emission. Along with paving the way for future brown dwarf discoveries, this result is an important step towards applying radio astronomy to the exciting field of exoplanets.</div> </div> <div class="news-readmore" aria-label="Read more">Read more</div> </div>  </a> </div> <div class="col-md-3 col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a href="/public/news/noirlab2027/"> <div class="news-wrapper"> <div class="news-image"> <img class="img-responsive" alt="Astronomers are Bulging with Data" src="/public/media/archives/images/thumb350x/noirlab2027a.jpg"> </div> <div class="news-description"> <div class="news-id" aria-label="noirlab2027 — Science Release">noirlab2027 — Science Release</div> <div class="news-title" role="heading" aria-level="1" aria-label="Astronomers are Bulging with Data">Astronomers are Bulging with Data</div> <div class="news-teaser" aria-label="27 October 2020: For the first time, over 250 million stars in our galaxy’s bulge have been surveyed in near-ultraviolet, optical, and near-infrared light, opening the door for astronomers to reexamine key questions about the Milky Way’s formation and history. Using ultraviolet data, and with 450,000 individual images, the team was able to measure the chemical composition of tens of thousands of stars spanning a large area of the bulge. The vast dataset can be explored in spectacular detail in this image."><strong>27 October 2020</strong>: For the first time, over 250 million stars in our galaxy’s bulge have been surveyed in near-ultraviolet, optical, and near-infrared light, opening the door for astronomers to reexamine key questions about the Milky Way’s formation and history. Using ultraviolet data, and with 450,000 individual images, the team was able to measure the chemical composition of tens of thousands of stars spanning a large area of the bulge. The vast dataset can be explored in spectacular detail in this image.</div> </div> <div class="news-readmore" aria-label="Read more">Read more</div> </div>  </a> </div> </div> <div class="row news-list news-list-overflow"> <div class="col-md-3 col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a href="/public/news/noirlab2026/"> <div class="news-wrapper"> <div class="news-image"> <img class="img-responsive" alt="Restart of Limited NOIRLab Operations at Kitt Peak, Cerro Pachón and Cerro Tololo" src="/public/media/archives/images/thumb350x/noirlab2026a.jpg"> </div> <div class="news-description"> <div class="news-id" aria-label="noirlab2026 — Organization Release">noirlab2026 — Organization Release</div> <div class="news-title" role="heading" aria-level="1" aria-label="Restart of Limited NOIRLab Operations at Kitt Peak, Cerro Pachón and Cerro Tololo">Restart of Limited NOIRLab Operations at Kitt Peak, Cerro Pachón and Cerro Tololo</div> <div class="news-teaser" aria-label="12 October 2020: NOIRLab is pleased to announce that limited science operations are being re-established at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona and at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, Gemini South, and SOAR facilities in Chile after suspension on 18 March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic."><strong>12 October 2020</strong>: NOIRLab is pleased to announce that limited science operations are being re-established at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona and at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, Gemini South, and SOAR facilities in Chile after suspension on 18 March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.</div> </div> <div class="news-readmore" aria-label="Read more">Read more</div> </div>  </a> </div> <div class="col-md-3 col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a href="/public/news/noirlab2025/"> <div class="news-wrapper"> <div class="news-image"> <img class="img-responsive" alt="Looking Sharp: Most Detailed Image Yet of Famous Stellar Nursery" src="/public/media/archives/images/thumb350x/noirlab2025a.jpg"> </div> <div class="news-description"> <div class="news-id" aria-label="noirlab2025 — Photo Release">noirlab2025 — Photo Release</div> <div class="news-title" role="heading" aria-level="1" aria-label="Looking Sharp: Most Detailed Image Yet of Famous Stellar Nursery">Looking Sharp: Most Detailed Image Yet of Famous Stellar Nursery</div> <div class="news-teaser" aria-label="5 October 2020: Astronomers using the international Gemini Observatory, a Program of NSF NOIRLab, have captured the western wall of the Carina Nebula in unprecedented detail in a compelling image released today. The image reveals a number of unusual structures in the nebula. The exquisite detail revealed in the image is in part due to a technology known as adaptive optics, which resulted in a ten-fold improvement in the sharpness of the research team’s observations."><strong>5 October 2020</strong>: Astronomers using the international Gemini Observatory, a Program of NSF NOIRLab, have captured the western wall of the Carina Nebula in unprecedented detail in a compelling image released today. The image reveals a number of unusual structures in the nebula. The exquisite detail revealed in the image is in part due to a technology known as adaptive optics, which resulted in a ten-fold improvement in the sharpness of the research team’s observations.</div> </div> <div class="news-readmore" aria-label="Read more">Read more</div> </div>  </a> </div> <div class="col-md-3 col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a href="/public/news/noirlab2024/"> <div class="news-wrapper"> <div class="news-image"> <img class="img-responsive" alt="Big Astronomy Planetarium Program and Online Activities Go Live!" src="/public/media/archives/images/thumb350x/noirlab2024a.jpg"> </div> <div class="news-description"> <div class="news-id" aria-label="noirlab2024 — Organization Release">noirlab2024 — Organization Release</div> <div class="news-title" role="heading" aria-level="1" aria-label="Big Astronomy Planetarium Program and Online Activities Go Live!">Big Astronomy Planetarium Program and Online Activities Go Live!</div> <div class="news-teaser" aria-label="22 September 2020: Big Astronomy or Astronomia a Gran Escala is a bilingual planetarium show that extends beyond the dome using web-based and hands-on resources. In Big Astronomy, discover Chile’s grand observatories and meet the people who push the limits of technology and expand what we know about the Universe using world-class telescopes."><strong>22 September 2020</strong>: Big Astronomy or Astronomia a Gran Escala is a bilingual planetarium show that extends beyond the dome using web-based and hands-on resources. In Big Astronomy, discover Chile’s grand observatories and meet the people who push the limits of technology and expand what we know about the Universe using world-class telescopes.</div> </div> <div class="news-readmore" aria-label="Read more">Read more</div> </div>  </a> </div> <div class="col-md-3 col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a href="/public/news/noirlab2023/"> <div class="news-wrapper"> <div class="news-image"> <img class="img-responsive" alt="A White Dwarf’s Surprise Planetary Companion" src="/public/media/archives/images/thumb350x/noirlab2023a.jpg"> </div> <div class="news-description"> <div class="news-id" aria-label="noirlab2023 — Science Release">noirlab2023 — Science Release</div> <div class="news-title" role="heading" aria-level="1" aria-label="A White Dwarf’s Surprise Planetary Companion">A White Dwarf’s Surprise Planetary Companion</div> <div class="news-teaser" aria-label="15 September 2020: For the first time, an intact, giant exoplanet has been discovered orbiting close to a white dwarf star. This discovery shows that it is possible for Jupiter-sized planets to survive their star’s demise and settle into close orbits around the remaining stellar ember, near the habitable zone. This foretells one possible future for our own Solar System when the Sun ages into a white dwarf."><strong>15 September 2020</strong>: For the first time, an intact, giant exoplanet has been discovered orbiting close to a white dwarf star. This discovery shows that it is possible for Jupiter-sized planets to survive their star’s demise and settle into close orbits around the remaining stellar ember, near the habitable zone. This foretells one possible future for our own Solar System when the Sun ages into a white dwarf.</div> </div> <div class="news-readmore" aria-label="Read more">Read more</div> </div>  </a> </div> </div> <div class="row news-list news-list-overflow"> <div class="col-md-3 col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a href="/public/news/noirlab2022/"> <div class="news-wrapper"> <div class="news-image"> <img class="img-responsive" alt="Report Offers Roadmap to Mitigate Effects of Large Satellite Constellations on Astronomy" src="/public/media/archives/images/thumb350x/noirlab2022a.jpg"> </div> <div class="news-description"> <div class="news-id" aria-label="noirlab2022 — Organization Release">noirlab2022 — Organization Release</div> <div class="news-title" role="heading" aria-level="1" aria-label="Report Offers Roadmap to Mitigate Effects of Large Satellite Constellations on Astronomy">Report Offers Roadmap to Mitigate Effects of Large Satellite Constellations on Astronomy</div> <div class="news-teaser" aria-label="25 August 2020: A report by experts representing the global astronomical community, concludes that large constellations of bright satellites in low Earth orbit will fundamentally change ground-based optical and infrared astronomy and could impact the appearance of the night sky for stargazers worldwide. The report is the outcome of the recent SATCON1 virtual workshop, which brought together more than 250 scientists, engineers, satellite operators, and other stakeholders."><strong>25 August 2020</strong>: A report by experts representing the global astronomical community, concludes that large constellations of bright satellites in low Earth orbit will fundamentally change ground-based optical and infrared astronomy and could impact the appearance of the night sky for stargazers worldwide. The report is the outcome of the recent SATCON1 virtual workshop, which brought together more than 250 scientists, engineers, satellite operators, and other stakeholders.</div> </div> <div class="news-readmore" aria-label="Read more">Read more</div> </div>  </a> </div> <div class="col-md-3 col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a href="/public/news/noirlab2021/"> <div class="news-wrapper"> <div class="news-image"> <img class="img-responsive" alt="A Dizzying Show by Comet NEOWISE" src="/public/media/archives/images/thumb350x/noirlab2021a.jpg"> </div> <div class="news-description"> <div class="news-id" aria-label="noirlab2021 — Photo Release">noirlab2021 — Photo Release</div> <div class="news-title" role="heading" aria-level="1" aria-label="A Dizzying Show by Comet NEOWISE">A Dizzying Show by Comet NEOWISE</div> <div class="news-teaser" aria-label="24 August 2020: When Comet NEOWISE (C/2020 F3) sped through the inner Solar System during the middle of 2020, astronomers and the general public watched in awe as this “dirty snowball” shed gas and dust into space, producing a striking show visible to the naked eye. Close-up observations, led by Michal Drahus and Piotr Guzik of Jagiellonian University in Krakow, used the international Gemini Observatory, a Program of NSF NOIRLab, to observe the materials escaping from the comet over time. One set of observations, obtained on 1 August 2020 from the Gemini North telescope on Hawai‘i’s Maunakea, displays a spiraling stream of molecular gas that reveals the rotation of the comet’s nucleus. The timelapse sequence, compressed to only a few seconds, represents about one fifth of the approximately 7.5-hour rotation period of the comet."><strong>24 August 2020</strong>: When Comet NEOWISE (C/2020 F3) sped through the inner Solar System during the middle of 2020, astronomers and the general public watched in awe as this “dirty snowball” shed gas and dust into space, producing a striking show visible to the naked eye. Close-up observations, led by Michal Drahus and Piotr Guzik of Jagiellonian University in Krakow, used the international Gemini Observatory, a Program of NSF NOIRLab, to observe the materials escaping from the comet over time. One set of observations, obtained on 1 August 2020 from the Gemini North telescope on Hawai‘i’s Maunakea, displays a spiraling stream of molecular gas that reveals the rotation of the comet’s nucleus. The timelapse sequence, compressed to only a few seconds, represents about one fifth of the approximately 7.5-hour rotation period of the comet.</div> </div> <div class="news-readmore" aria-label="Read more">Read more</div> </div>  </a> </div> <div class="col-md-3 col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a href="/public/news/noirlab2020/"> <div class="news-wrapper"> <div class="news-image"> <img class="img-responsive" alt="Cool New Worlds Found in Our Cosmic Backyard" src="/public/media/archives/images/thumb350x/noirlab2020a.jpg"> </div> <div class="news-description"> <div class="news-id" aria-label="noirlab2020 — Science Release">noirlab2020 — Science Release</div> <div class="news-title" role="heading" aria-level="1" aria-label="Cool New Worlds Found in Our Cosmic Backyard">Cool New Worlds Found in Our Cosmic Backyard</div> <div class="news-teaser" aria-label="18 August 2020: How complete is our census of the Sun’s closest neighbors? Astronomers using NSF NOIRLab facilities and a team of data-sleuthing volunteers participating in Backyard Worlds: Planet 9, a citizen science project, have discovered roughly 100 cool worlds near the Sun — objects more massive than planets but lighter than stars, known as brown dwarfs. Several of these newly discovered worlds are among the very coolest known, with a few approaching the temperature of Earth — cool enough to harbor water clouds."><strong>18 August 2020</strong>: How complete is our census of the Sun’s closest neighbors? Astronomers using NSF NOIRLab facilities and a team of data-sleuthing volunteers participating in Backyard Worlds: Planet 9, a citizen science project, have discovered roughly 100 cool worlds near the Sun — objects more massive than planets but lighter than stars, known as brown dwarfs. Several of these newly discovered worlds are among the very coolest known, with a few approaching the temperature of Earth — cool enough to harbor water clouds.</div> </div> <div class="news-readmore" aria-label="Read more">Read more</div> </div>  </a> </div> <div class="col-md-3 col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a href="/public/news/noirlab2019/"> <div class="news-wrapper"> <div class="news-image"> <img class="img-responsive" alt="Astronomers Sink Their Teeth Into Special Supernova" src="/public/media/archives/images/thumb350x/noirlab2019a.jpg"> </div> <div class="news-description"> <div class="news-id" aria-label="noirlab2019 — Science Release">noirlab2019 — Science Release</div> <div class="news-title" role="heading" aria-level="1" aria-label="Astronomers Sink Their Teeth Into Special Supernova">Astronomers Sink Their Teeth Into Special Supernova</div> <div class="news-teaser" aria-label="5 August 2020: Astronomers using several telescopes at NOIRLab, including the Southern Astrophysical Research (SOAR) Telescope, have obtained critical data on a particular type of exploding star that produces copious amounts of calcium. The calcium produced in this unique type of supernova explosion is the same calcium found in our bones and teeth and these events account for up to half of the calcium found in the Universe."><strong>5 August 2020</strong>: Astronomers using several telescopes at NOIRLab, including the Southern Astrophysical Research (SOAR) Telescope, have obtained critical data on a particular type of exploding star that produces copious amounts of calcium. The calcium produced in this unique type of supernova explosion is the same calcium found in our bones and teeth and these events account for up to half of the calcium found in the Universe.</div> </div> <div class="news-readmore" aria-label="Read more">Read more</div> </div>  </a> </div> </div> <div class="row news-list news-list-overflow"> <div class="col-md-3 col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a href="/public/news/noirlab2018/"> <div class="news-wrapper"> <div class="news-image"> <img class="img-responsive" alt="Surprisingly Dense Exoplanet Challenges Planet Formation Theories" src="/public/media/archives/images/thumb350x/noirlab2018a.jpg"> </div> <div class="news-description"> <div class="news-id" aria-label="noirlab2018 — Science Release">noirlab2018 — Science Release</div> <div class="news-title" role="heading" aria-level="1" aria-label="Surprisingly Dense Exoplanet Challenges Planet Formation Theories">Surprisingly Dense Exoplanet Challenges Planet Formation Theories</div> <div class="news-teaser" aria-label="4 August 2020: New detailed observations with NSF NOIRLab facilities reveal a young exoplanet, orbiting a young star in the Hyades cluster, that is unusually dense for its size and age. Weighing in at 25 Earth-masses, and slightly smaller than Neptune, this exoplanet’s existence is at odds with the predictions of leading planet formation theories."><strong>4 August 2020</strong>: New detailed observations with NSF NOIRLab facilities reveal a young exoplanet, orbiting a young star in the Hyades cluster, that is unusually dense for its size and age. Weighing in at 25 Earth-masses, and slightly smaller than Neptune, this exoplanet’s existence is at odds with the predictions of leading planet formation theories.</div> </div> <div class="news-readmore" aria-label="Read more">Read more</div> </div>  </a> </div> <div class="col-md-3 col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a href="/public/news/noirlab2017/"> <div class="news-wrapper"> <div class="news-image"> <img class="img-responsive" alt="Gemini Observatory’s Quick Reflexes Capture Fleeting Flash" src="/public/media/archives/images/thumb350x/noirlab2017a.jpg"> </div> <div class="news-description"> <div class="news-id" aria-label="noirlab2017 — Science Release">noirlab2017 — Science Release</div> <div class="news-title" role="heading" aria-level="1" aria-label="Gemini Observatory’s Quick Reflexes Capture Fleeting Flash">Gemini Observatory’s Quick Reflexes Capture Fleeting Flash</div> <div class="news-teaser" aria-label="14 July 2020: Rapid follow-up of the optical afterglow from one of the most distant confirmed short gamma-ray bursts (SGRB), thought to be the merger of two neutron stars, is casting new light on these enigmatic objects. The observations, made by the international Gemini Observatory, a Program of NSF NOIRLab, confirmed the object’s distance and placed it squarely in the epoch of cosmic high noon, when the Universe was in its “teenage years” and rapidly forming stars. The appearance of an SGRB so early in the history of the Universe could alter theories about their origin, in particular how long it takes two neutron stars to merge to produce these powerful events. Precisely-localized SGRBs are rare, typically only 7–8 are detected per year, and this is the most distant high-confidence SGRB with an optical afterglow detection."><strong>14 July 2020</strong>: Rapid follow-up of the optical afterglow from one of the most distant confirmed short gamma-ray bursts (SGRB), thought to be the merger of two neutron stars, is casting new light on these enigmatic objects. The observations, made by the international Gemini Observatory, a Program of NSF NOIRLab, confirmed the object’s distance and placed it squarely in the epoch of cosmic high noon, when the Universe was in its “teenage years” and rapidly forming stars. The appearance of an SGRB so early in the history of the Universe could alter theories about their origin, in particular how long it takes two neutron stars to merge to produce these powerful events. Precisely-localized SGRBs are rare, typically only 7–8 are detected per year, and this is the most distant high-confidence SGRB with an optical afterglow detection.</div> </div> <div class="news-readmore" aria-label="Read more">Read more</div> </div>  </a> </div> <div class="col-md-3 col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a href="/public/news/noirlab2016/"> <div class="news-wrapper"> <div class="news-image"> <img class="img-responsive" alt="Cosmic Fireworks" src="/public/media/archives/images/thumb350x/noirlab2016a.jpg"> </div> <div class="news-description"> <div class="news-id" aria-label="noirlab2016 — Photo Release">noirlab2016 — Photo Release</div> <div class="news-title" role="heading" aria-level="1" aria-label="Cosmic Fireworks">Cosmic Fireworks</div> <div class="news-teaser" aria-label="2 July 2020: This archival image from the Nicholas U. Mayall 4-meter Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory, a Program of NSF NOIRLab, captures a snapshot of some cosmic pyrotechnics — the asymmetric spiral arms of the galaxy NGC 925, which host dazzling bursts of star formation. This stunning image is only one example of the spectacular firework displays that astronomy has to offer."><strong>2 July 2020</strong>: This archival image from the Nicholas U. Mayall 4-meter Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory, a Program of NSF NOIRLab, captures a snapshot of some cosmic pyrotechnics — the asymmetric spiral arms of the galaxy NGC 925, which host dazzling bursts of star formation. This stunning image is only one example of the spectacular firework displays that astronomy has to offer.</div> </div> <div class="news-readmore" aria-label="Read more">Read more</div> </div>  </a> </div> <div class="col-md-3 col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a href="/public/news/noirlab2015/"> <div class="news-wrapper"> <div class="news-image"> <img class="img-responsive" alt="Monster Black Hole Found in the Early Universe" src="/public/media/archives/images/thumb350x/noirlab2015a.jpg"> </div> <div class="news-description"> <div class="news-id" aria-label="noirlab2015 — Science Release">noirlab2015 — Science Release</div> <div class="news-title" role="heading" aria-level="1" aria-label="Monster Black Hole Found in the Early Universe">Monster Black Hole Found in the Early Universe</div> <div class="news-teaser" aria-label="25 June 2020: 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 NOIRLab. It is also the first quasar to receive an indigenous Hawaiian name, Pōniuāʻena. The quasar contains a monster black hole, twice the mass of the black hole in the only other quasar found at the same epoch, challenging the current theories of supermassive black hole formation and growth in the early Universe."><strong>25 June 2020</strong>: 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 NOIRLab. It is also the first quasar to receive an indigenous Hawaiian name, Pōniuāʻena. The quasar contains a monster black hole, twice the mass of the black hole in the only other quasar found at the same epoch, challenging the current theories of supermassive black hole formation and growth in the early Universe.</div> </div> <div class="news-readmore" aria-label="Read more">Read more</div> </div>  </a> </div> </div> <div class="row news-list news-list-overflow"> <div class="col-md-3 col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a href="/public/news/noirlab2014/"> <div class="news-wrapper"> <div class="news-image"> <img class="img-responsive" alt="Young Planets Bite the Dust" src="/public/media/archives/images/thumb350x/noirlab2014a.jpg"> </div> <div class="news-description"> <div class="news-id" aria-label="noirlab2014 — Photo Release">noirlab2014 — Photo Release</div> <div class="news-title" role="heading" aria-level="1" aria-label="Young Planets Bite the Dust">Young Planets Bite the Dust</div> <div class="news-teaser" aria-label="24 June 2020: 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 South telescope using the Gemini Planet Imager — illustrate the variety of shapes and sizes that stellar systems can take during their infancy. Unexpectedly, the majority of these systems display evidence of planet formation."><strong>24 June 2020</strong>: 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 South telescope using the Gemini Planet Imager — illustrate the variety of shapes and sizes that stellar systems can take during their infancy. Unexpectedly, the majority of these systems display evidence of planet formation.</div> </div> <div class="news-readmore" aria-label="Read more">Read more</div> </div>  </a> </div> <div class="col-md-3 col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a href="/public/news/noirlab2013/"> <div class="news-wrapper"> <div class="news-image"> <img class="img-responsive" alt="Portrait of a Starburst Galaxy" src="/public/media/archives/images/thumb350x/noirlab2013a.jpg"> </div> <div class="news-description"> <div class="news-id" aria-label="noirlab2013 — Photo Release">noirlab2013 — Photo Release</div> <div class="news-title" role="heading" aria-level="1" aria-label="Portrait of a Starburst Galaxy">Portrait of a Starburst Galaxy</div> <div class="news-teaser" aria-label="18 June 2020: This striking image from NOIRLab’s Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) presents a portrait of the irregular galaxy IC 10, a disorderly starburst galaxy close to the Milky Way. As well as a population of bright young stars, this irregular galaxy harbors exotic Wolf-Rayet stars and a black hole."><strong>18 June 2020</strong>: This striking image from NOIRLab’s Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) presents a portrait of the irregular galaxy IC 10, a disorderly starburst galaxy close to the Milky Way. As well as a population of bright young stars, this irregular galaxy harbors exotic Wolf-Rayet stars and a black hole.</div> </div> <div class="news-readmore" aria-label="Read more">Read more</div> </div>  </a> </div> <div class="col-md-3 col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a href="/public/news/noirlab2012/"> <div class="news-wrapper"> <div class="news-image"> <img class="img-responsive" alt="Analyzing Cosmic Clusters" src="/public/media/archives/images/thumb350x/noirlab2012a.jpg"> </div> <div class="news-description"> <div class="news-id" aria-label="noirlab2012 — Photo Release">noirlab2012 — Photo Release</div> <div class="news-title" role="heading" aria-level="1" aria-label="Analyzing Cosmic Clusters">Analyzing Cosmic Clusters</div> <div class="news-teaser" aria-label="4 June 2020: Using the Dark Energy Camera at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, a Program of NSF NOIRLab, astronomers are measuring weak gravitational lensing to map the distribution of mass in nearby galaxy clusters. As well as producing remarkable images like this one, the information will shed light on the relationships between the constituent parts of nearby galaxy clusters, such as gas, stellar populations, and dark matter."><strong>4 June 2020</strong>: Using the Dark Energy Camera at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, a Program of NSF NOIRLab, astronomers are measuring weak gravitational lensing to map the distribution of mass in nearby galaxy clusters. As well as producing remarkable images like this one, the information will shed light on the relationships between the constituent parts of nearby galaxy clusters, such as gas, stellar populations, and dark matter.</div> </div> <div class="news-readmore" aria-label="Read more">Read more</div> </div>  </a> </div> <div class="col-md-3 col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a href="/public/news/noirlab2011/"> <div class="news-wrapper"> <div class="news-image"> <img class="img-responsive" alt="Gemini Gets Lucky and Takes a Deep Dive Into Jupiter’s Clouds" src="/public/media/archives/images/thumb350x/noirlab2011a.jpg"> </div> <div class="news-description"> <div class="news-id" aria-label="noirlab2011 — Science Release">noirlab2011 — Science Release</div> <div class="news-title" role="heading" aria-level="1" aria-label="Gemini Gets Lucky and Takes a Deep Dive Into Jupiter’s Clouds">Gemini Gets Lucky and Takes a Deep Dive Into Jupiter’s Clouds</div> <div class="news-teaser" aria-label="7 May 2020: 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 joint observing program with the Hubble Space Telescope in support of NASA’s Juno mission. The Gemini images, when combined with the Hubble and Juno observations, reveal that lightning strikes, and some of the largest storm systems that create them, are formed in and around large convective cells over deep clouds of water ice and liquid. The new observations also confirm that dark spots in the famous Great Red Spot are actually gaps in the cloud cover and not due to cloud color variations."><strong>7 May 2020</strong>: 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 joint observing program with the Hubble Space Telescope in support of NASA’s Juno mission. The Gemini images, when combined with the Hubble and Juno observations, reveal that lightning strikes, and some of the largest storm systems that create them, are formed in and around large convective cells over deep clouds of water ice and liquid. The new observations also confirm that dark spots in the famous Great Red Spot are actually gaps in the cloud cover and not due to cloud color variations.</div> </div> <div class="news-readmore" aria-label="Read more">Read more</div> </div>  </a> </div> </div> <div class="row statusbar"><div class="col-md-3"> Showing 1 to 20 of 30 </div><div class="col-md-6"><div class="text-center"><ul class="pagination"><li class="active"><a href="/public/news/archive/year/2020/page/1/">1</a></li><li><a href="/public/news/archive/year/2020/page/2/">2</a></li><li><a class="prev-next" href="/public/news/archive/year/2020/page/2/">Next</a></li></ul></div></div></div><div class="row"><div class="col-md-12"></div></div> <div class="copyright"> <a href="/public/copyright/">Usage of NOIRLab Images and Videos</a><br /> <a href="/public/subscribe-media/">Are you a journalist? 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