Press Releases

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.
Sombrero Galaxy: The Universe’s Dusty Brimmed Hat

Photo Release: 24 April 2026 — noirlab2612

Sombrero Galaxy: The Universe’s Dusty Brimmed Hat Revealed Like Never Before

Messier 104, nicknamed the Sombrero Galaxy, is a popular target for amateur observing and astronomical research. Its recognizable extended halo, as well as a faint stellar stream, are captured in exquisite detail in this image from the Department of Energy-fabricated Dark Energy Camera, 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.
Zoomed-in portion of DESI’s year-five map

Organization Release: 15 April 2026 — noirlab2610

DESI Completes Planned 3D Map of the Universe and Continues Exploring

DESI has mapped more than 47 million galaxies and quasars, creating the largest high-resolution 3D map of our Universe to date. Because of the instrument’s excellent performance and hints that dark energy might evolve, DESI will continue observations into 2028 and further expand the map. DESI was constructed with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science and is mounted on the U.S. National Science Foundation Nicholas U. Mayall 4-meter telescope.
Artist’s interpretation of the cosmic distance ladder

Science Release: 10 April 2026 — noirlab2611

The Local Universe’s Expansion Rate Is Clearer Than Ever, but Still Doesn’t Add Up

An international collaboration of astronomers has produced one of the most precise measurements yet of how fast the local Universe is expanding. The result deepens one of the most significant challenges in modern cosmology. John Blakeslee, astronomer at NSF NOIRLab, funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, is a member of the collaboration, and telescopes across two NSF NOIRLab Programs contributed data.
3D rendering of asteroids discovered by NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory

Science Release: 2 April 2026 — noirlab2608

Early Data from NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory Reveals Over 11,000 New Asteroids

Scientists at NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, jointly funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science, have submitted an unprecedented set of asteroid detections to the IAU Minor Planet Center, including hundreds of distant worlds beyond Neptune and 33 previously unknown near-Earth asteroids.

Images of the Week

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
Light Pillars Captured Over Maunakea

6 May 2026 — iotw2618

Light Pillars Captured Over Maunakea
Moons and Mirrors at Cerro Tololo

29 April 2026 — iotw2617

Moons and Mirrors at Cerro Tololo
Milky Way Glows Over Rubin

22 April 2026 — iotw2616

Milky Way Glows Over Rubin
The Small Magellanic Cloud from Cerro Pachón

15 April 2026 — iotw2615

The Small Magellanic Cloud from Cerro Pachón
A Fireball Blazing over Hawai‘i

8 April 2026 — iotw2614

A Fireball Blazing over Hawai‘i
Rubin’s Eyes Wide Open

1 April 2026 — iotw2613

Rubin’s Eyes Wide Open
Sitting under a Supermassive Black Hole

25 March 2026 — iotw2612

Sitting under a Supermassive Black Hole

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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.
Observations Begins

19 Nov. 2025

25 Years of Gemini Part I: The Origin of the International Gemini Observatory

In celebration of 25 years since the completion of the International Gemini Observatory, supported in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation and operated by NSF NOIRLab, we reflect on how Fred Gillett’s passion for infrared astronomy built the foundation for the Gemini project, and how its implementation necessitated a scientifically motivated and united international community. This is part one of the NOIRLab Stories Blog series for Gemini Observatory’s 25th anniversary.

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.