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October 8, 2008

Big Galaxy Collisions Can Stunt Star Formation

A deep new image of the Virgo cluster has revealed monumental tendrils of ionized hydrogen gas 400,000 light-years long connecting the elliptical galaxy M86 and the disturbed spiral galaxy NGC 4438. Taken with the wide-field Mosaic imager on the National Science Foundation’s Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory, this Hydrogen-alpha image and related spectroscopic measurements of the filament provide striking evidence of a previously unsuspected high-speed collision between the two galaxies, creating enough heat to slow down and even stop star formation in the galaxy. For more, see NOAO Press Release PR-0807.

August 28, 2008

QUOTA image of the open star cluster NGC 6791

WIYN One Degree Imager (ODI)
Prototype Camera

The Quad-OTA CCD camera, QUOTA, has just completed an engineering run at the WIYN telescope. An OTA is a Orthogonal Transfer CCD Array and are the new generation of orthogonal transfer CCDs (OTCCD) being developed at the WIYN observatory. OTCCDs are special purpose CCDs that, when used with the NOAO developed MONSOON controller, allow the collected charge to be moved within the array during integration. Fast imaging of one or more bright guide stars in certain parts of the array allow atmospheric and other motion compensation to be made in the form of low order tip-tilt corrections. WIYN has operated the original prototype OTCCD camera, OPTIC, for over 4 years.
Full article here.

August 4, 2008

New Director of the WIYN Observatory

Astronomer Pierre Martin, director of science operations at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT), has been selected as the new director of the WIYN Observatory, which operates 3.5-meter and 0.9-meter telescopes on Kitt Peak.

Starting September 22, Martin succeeds George Jacoby, who will return to the scientific staff of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO). For more, see WIYN Press Release.

April 1, 2008

Night Vision Atop Kitt Peak

Image Credit: James Gregg/Arizona Daily Star

Senior Program Coordinator Robert T. Wilson views Saturn through a telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory on April 7. Kitt Peak National Observatory nears its 50th year and remains a vital presence in the astronomy community. Watch our website for information on upcoming events to help us celebrate!

NOAO is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation.

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