National Optical Astronomy Observatory

K. Rhode, M. Young and WIYN/NOAO/AURA/NSF

WIYN turns the ODI toward M51

The Whirlpool Galaxy (Messier 51) has been a popular night sky target for astronomers for centuries and has likely been targeted by virtually every telescope in the northern hemisphere. Found in the constellation Canes Venatici, M51 is a classic example of a spiral galaxy. Now, a new camera on the WIYN 3.5-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory has imaged the Whirlpool Galaxy anew. The wide field of the One Degree Imager (ODI) camera makes it possible to capture the entire galaxy and its companion in one pointing, something that even the Hubble Space Telescope cannot do.

Read more in NOAO Press Release 13-09.

T. Abbott & CTIO/NOAO/AURA/NSF

Fifty Years of Wide Field Studies in the Southern Hemisphere

The CTIO 50th anniversary conference has ended, and was considered a huge success—scientifically diverse and strong, and the historic talks added personality, emotion and pride to the 50th year celebration. We were pleased to have a strong attendance (3 dozen) from the local Chilean Universities, as well as scientists from Europe, Asia, South America and of course the USA. Pictured above are the conference participants. Additional Photos from the conference can be found in this online album.

J. Glaspey, P. Marenfeld & NOAO/AURA/NSF

A Kepler’s Dozen: Thirteen Stories about Distant Worlds that Really Exist

For centuries, humans have pondered what life on other planets beyond our solar system might be like. With the launch of the Kepler Spacecraft in 2009 we now have evidence for the widespread existence of such planets. Kepler’s discovery of hundreds of planet candidates around other stars has inspired a new book that combines both science and science fiction: A Kepler’s Dozen: Thirteen Stories about Distant Worlds that Really Exist. This anthology is co-edited by David Lee Summers (author of The Pirates of Sufiro and editor of Space Pirates) and Dr. Steve Howell (Kepler Project Scientist).

Read more in NOAO Press Release 13-05.

NOAO/AURA/NSF

A Better View with Adaptive Optics into the Heart of a Globular Cluster

This image of Globular cluster NGC 6496, observed with the SOAR Adaptive Module (SAM), is about 3 arc minutes across. The enlarged sections of the cluster show the image with SOAR adaptive optics (AO) on and off, demonstrating the significant difference that sharp stellar images can make in our understanding of the properties of stars.

The typical FWHM of stellar images in Closed Loop (SAM On) and Open Loop (SAM Off) condition (averaged over the field):

Read more in NOAO Press Release 13-04 and the Astronomical Journal.

Blanco f/8 Secondary Repaired

The repair of the Blanco telescope’s f/8 secondary has been completed, and the figure of the repaired optic (shown at right) matches the measurement after it was refigured in 1993 (at left). The small circle in the center of the 2013 image represents the diameter of the repair. The repaired mirror will be returned to Chile, where the repairs to the mirror cell are underway. Initial re-integration of the cell on the telescope is scheduled for late June, with first light with the repaired mirror planned for August. Additional details on the recovery effort.