AstronomyAustralia

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AAL welcomes Daniel T. Jaffe as new President of the @GiantMagellan telescope. Daniel brings decades of leadership in research and astronomy, and we look forward to working with him on this next-generation observatory. Learn more here: giantmagellan.org/2026/01/13/gia…

Attention Australian #STEM undergraduates: how would you like to spend 6 weeks in mid-2026 working on a research project at the headquarters of @ESO? Travel and accommodation costs, along with a stipend are all covered. Apply by 31 Jan! eso.org/sci/publicatio…

AAL and the CTA-Australia consortium are excited to be part of this major international project hosted and supported by @ESO. eso.org/public/news/es…

2025 was a pivotal year for the Giant Magellan Telescope. We welcomed @MIT as a new consortium partner, reached major manufacturing and assembly milestones, and advanced into the @NSF’s Major Facilities Final Design Phase. Explore our Year in Photos and see our story of 2025 told visually: giantmagellan.org/2025/12/16/the… Image Credit: Gonzalo Torres

Manufacturing of the Giant Magellan Telescope is progressing — with exciting developments underway in adaptive optics and instrumentation. Explore the latest in our Milestones newsletter, featuring updates and behind-the-scenes insights from the scientists and engineers making it happen: ✅ Support-system testing — optical & thermal control system performance ✅ Assembly, integration & testing of the Adaptive Optics & Phasing Sensor (GAPS) Testbed ✅ New Optical Control & Performance lab facility now online ✅ Successful Preliminary Design Review for the Commissioning Camera — the first instrument to collect light from the Giant Magellan Telescope Read the full Milestones newsletter for more detail: linkedin.com/pulse/mileston…

The latest @ESO Messenger includes science highlights from the #MAUVE ESO Large Programme led by astronomers at @ICRAR, plus a profile of Australian ESO Fellow @amelia_fmc. eso.org/sci/publicatio…

Congratulations to our colleagues at @VRubinObs on this significant milestone. AAL continues to provide professional software effort through ADACS to Rubin Observatory in exchange for LSST data access rights for our community. astronomyaustralia.org.au/blog/portfolio…

Did you catch last night's aurora? The Anglo-Australian Telescope's all sky camera did! The AAT is located at Siding Springs Observatory, hosted by ANU. AAL acts as a manager for telescope operations. Credit: SSO/AAT #auroraaustralis #aurora

Exciting news on the @giantmagellan front in recent weeks, with @MIT joining the project and our own @cosmicpinot being appointed vice-chair of the GMTO Board. Read more at astronomyaustralia.org.au/blog/news/gmt-…

Engineers are using a powerful simulation tool — “BOB” (Builder of Observatory Behaviors) — to rehearse daily operations, safety, and maintenance for the Giant Magellan Telescope in a fully interactive 3D world built with @UnrealEngine. Read more: giantmagellan.org/2025/10/21/a-l…

Find out more here: science.anu.edu.au/news-events/ne…

Congratulations to Giacomo Cordoni and his team on getting some of the earliest science from @VRubinObs data. AAL oversees Australia's in-kind contributions to Rubin Observatory that make access to these data for our community possible. #Astronomy @ANUmedia

From starlight to quantum light. @Macquarie_Uni spinout @REDBACKsys is transforming spectroscopy - adapting tools from astronomy to power quantum sensing, communication, and computing. See more here: astronomyaustralia.org.au/blog/news/from… #SpaceTech #Quantum #Astronomy

Join here: sites.google.com/view/msl-blue-…

Blue Horizons is coming! Join the @UniMelb Space Lab for a two-day summit shaping the future of Australian space-based astronomy. - 1–2 Dec 2025 - Melbourne - Closes 31 Oct Explore Australia’s next decade in Space Science & Astronomy. #WorldSpaceWeek #Astronomy

Congratulations to Dr Sarah Caddy! Sarah is now apart of the LSST-DA Catalyst Postdoc Alliance, advancing Australia’s role in Rubin science. See more: astronomyaustralia.org.au/blog/news/dr-s…

In order to help keep Australia at the forefront of gravitational wave astronomy AAL supports the Gravitational Wave Data Centre, and studies into an Australian Gravitational Wave Observatory. astronomyaustralia.org.au/gravitational-…

With SkySynth, the #RubinFirstLook images are ear-resistable 👂✨ SkySynth transforms the Virgo Cluster into a sparkling symphony of science! 🧪 Instead of conveying data visually, like a picture, a sonification like SkySynth translates data into sound. skyviewer.app/skysynth

The first citizen science project using NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory, Comet Catchers ☄️, has already passed 1.5 MILLION classifications on @the_zooniverse 🤯 Now that's what we call teamwork! Find Comet Catchers (and other Rubin projects as they go live) at zooniverse.org/rubin