NOIRLab

The NSF–DOE @VRubinObs has released its 1st alerts of detected changes in the night sky, including new asteroids & exploding stars! This is the start of a system expected to generate up to 7M alerts per night🚨 🔗 ow.ly/EFxH50Ym1I7 📹 NSF–DOE @VRubinObs/NOIRLab/SLAC/AURA

Happy March equinox! 🌞Today marks one of two occurrences during the year where night and day last nearly an equal 12 hours. It also kicks off spring in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. 🍃🌎🍂

Derek Zoolander would be proud 👀 Who’s serving the best Blue Steel look? 📹 T. Lange (SLAC)

Not-So-Quiet Night at NSF–DOE @VRubinObs 🤫❌ This image was captured during Rubin’s First Look observing run in April 2025. Staff bustled with excitement as the Simonyi Survey Telescope points to the sky! 📸: NSF–DOE @VRubinObs/NOIRLab/SLAC/NSF/DOE/AURA/P. Horálek

🌄 Join the team at @KittPeakNatObs! The Kitt Peak Visitor Center & Gift Shop is looking for a Customer Service Representative (Cashier) to help welcome visitors from around the . This position is part-time with hours that vary seasonally. Apply here: ow.ly/Z1XY50YvvrJ

Curious what it’s like at Cerro Pachón? ⛰️🔭 In this video, you can see the @Geminiobs South Telescope and the SOAR Telescope, both operated by NSF NOIRLab, surrounded by the vast mountains of northern Chile. 📹NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/T. Matsopoulos

🚨Astronomers have discovered the clearest example yet of a star chemically enriched by the first stars in the Universe! This star, named PicII-503, resides in the ultra-faint dwarf galaxy Pictor II. noirlab.edu/public/news/no… 📷 CTIO/NOIRLab/DOE/NSF/AURA

Happy Pi day! The twin Gemini telescope mirrors have diameters of 8.1 meters. Using A = π x radius^2 and subtracting the central hole, you can calculate a surface area of about 50.4 square meters. #PiDay 📷: International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/AURA/NSF/M. Paredes

Galactic vibes only ✨ NGC 1515 is seen here serving up some spiral realness from 55 million light-years away. The galaxy is joined by NGC 1515A to its upper-right, and PGC423162 to the upper-left. 📷: Dark Energy Survey/DOE/FNAL/DECam/CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA

Scientists don’t read millions of NSF-DOE @VRubinObs alerts one by one. The data stream flows into alert brokers, which filter, classify, and organize the alerts in real time. Researchers subscribe to exactly what they care about. 📷NSF–DOE @VRubinObs/NOIRLab/SLAC/AURA/B. Quint

The longer you look at this scene from Cerro Pachón, the more you’ll spot! The road leads you straight to the world-renowned Gemini South telescope, one half of the @GeminiObs, supported in part by the @NSF and operated by NSF NOIRLab. 📷:@GeminiObs/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/P. Horálek

🌙✨ How dark is your night sky? This March, join the global @GlobeatNight campaign and help measure light pollution around the world. 🌍 It only takes a few minutes, but your observation can make a real difference! Get started: globatnight.org

🚨🔭 First Rubin alerts… followed up by @NOIRLabastro! For the first time, NSF NOIRLab has successfully demonstrated its end-to-end system for rapid follow-up observations triggered by alerts from the NSF–DOE @VRubinObs. Read more: noirlab.edu/public/es/news…

We are inviting applications for two postdoctoral positions at the 4m SOAR Telescope on Cerro Pachón, Chile 🇨🇱 📢 Highly qualified Brazilian astronomers are especially encouraged to apply. Details and how to apply: ow.ly/GqTt50Yoihm 📍 Based in La Serena, Chile

In this timelapse video, @Geminiobs North creates artificial guide stars above Earth. By tracking how those stars shimmer, the telescope’s adaptive optics system adjusts its mirrors to cancel it out in real time. 🎥: NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/T. Matsopoulos

Also known as M42, the majestic Orion Nebula lies ~1500 light-years away in Orion’s sword. Bright enough to spot with binoculars, it’s a glowing stellar nursery where new stars are born. 📸 KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/Ryan Steinberg and Family/Adam Block

Today, the NSF Nicholas U. Mayall 4-meter Telescope hosts the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), the most powerful multi-object survey spectrograph in the world. We’re throwing it back this Thursday to moments from the Mayall’s rich history at NSF @KittPeakNatObs.

🌕🔴 A “Blood Moon” In the early morning hours of 3 March 2026, a total lunar eclipse transformed the sky. This composite image captures the progression of the eclipse as seen from @KittPeakNatObs. 📷: KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/P. Horálek

NSF NOIRLab is organizing a community conference between 20–24 April in Tucson. Join discussions on science enabled by DESI, LSST, Gemini & more, including AI/ML, advanced computing, and data-driven discovery. 👉 Register bit.ly/3OZkvit

@GlobeatNight turns 20 years! 🌌🎉 And what better gift than a short video showing your love for dark skies? To celebrate, we’re inviting you to send us a short video sharing why dark skies matter to you 🌍✨ 🎥 How to participate: globeatnight.org/love-your-star…