Image credit: D. Sprayberry & NOAO/AURA/NSF
Kitt Peak 4-m Mayall Receives New Top End Ring
The Mayall telescope’s new top end ring was recently installed using a 450 ton crane with a 250 foot boom. The top ring will support new optics for the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), a state-of-the-art spectrometer that can measure the spectra of 5000 astronomical objects simultaneously. By surveying 30 million galaxies and quasars, DESI will explore the mysterious physics of dark energy, which is believed to accelerate the expansion of the Universe.
-
WIYN-win for Kitt Peak
Which stars harbor what kind of planets? The NEID spectrograph, destined for Kitt Peak, will soon study planets discovered by NASA’s Kepler & TESS missions. -
The “Conduct” tab above links the recently posted National Optical Astronomy Observatory Non-Harassment Policy Statement. Please join us in promoting a respectful workplace. -
Announcing: the U.S. Extremely Large Telescope Program. NOAO, GMTO, and TIO have teamed up to enhance US scientific leadership in astronomy and astrophysics. -
Components for the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) recently arrived at KPNO and were delivered inside the 4-m Mayall enclosure. -
A Snake in the Clouds: A New Dwarf Galaxy in the Magellanic Bridge. Astronomers using DECam on the CTIO Blanco 4m detected the new galaxy in the stream of gas linking the LMC & SMC. -
The April 2018 NOAO Newsletter is online and ready to download. It contains sections on Science Highlights, Community Science & Data, System Observing, and NOAO Operations & Staff. -
Exploding Star Shines Bright, Fades Fast in a discovery made
by a team that includes NOAO astronomers A. Zenteno and
C. Smith. Read more in the Notre Dame Press Release.
