NSF NOIRLab

Two separate powerful cosmological surveys — the DESI Survey in Arizona and the Dark Energy Survey in Chile — suggest that dark energy, the mysterious force speeding up the expansion of the Universe, might not be constant… it could be changing over time. 😱 Read more in our latest blog post: https://lnkd.in/eqBC8GpM

Keep your eyes on the sky tonight 🌜🌌🌛because it’s the equinox! It’s the first day of spring for the northern hemisphere, and the first day of autumn for the southern hemisphere. Did you know that zodiacal light is best seen during equinoxes? The bright white light in this image, called zodiacal light, is created by sunlight 🔆scattering off dust in the Solar System. This image combines photos from both halves of the International Gemini Observatory, Gemini North telescope platform in Hawai‘i and Gemini South telescope platform in Chile, to create a single image of the entire sky. The bright spot of light in the center of this image is exactly opposite to the sun and most visible at midnight on the equinox. 📷NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/ P. Horálek (Institute of Physics in Opava), T. Slovinský

A total lunar eclipse with everything? Yes, please! 🌕✨ On the night of 13–14 March 2025, the skies over Cerro Tololo in Chile put on a show — a total lunar eclipse lit the sky with a magical red glow! Why red? As Earth blocks sunlight from directly reaching the Moon, some light still bends through our atmosphere. Shorter blue light gets scattered away, and the longer, redder light paints the Moon in that iconic, eerie crimson we all love. 🔴✨ This stunning composite image was captured by NOIRLab Photo Ambassador Petr Horálek, from NSF Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO). And if you look closely… you’ll spot glints of passing satellites, the Milky Way, and even Zodiacal Light. Just wow. 😍 ☝️Swipe to see more views for the full experience! 📷 Credit: CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/P. Horálek (Institute of Physics in Opava) #astronomy #science #cerrotololo #chile #lunareclipse #moon

🚨 The DESI Survey just released the largest set of 3D astronomical data ever! 🌌 It includes data on 18.7 million objects—4M stars, 13.1M galaxies, and 1.6M quasars, and is now available for researchers to explore! https://lnkd.in/eBHj9A84 📷: DESI Collaboration/DOE/KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/R. Proctor

Dark Energy Twist: Are the Laws of Physics Changing? 🤯 The latest results from the Dark Energy Survey (DES) conducted in Cerro Tololo Inter American Observatory, Chile hints that dark energy — the mysterious force behind the Universe’s expansion — might be changing over time. 😱 Scientists spotted possible inconsistencies in the standard model of the Universe (ΛCDM, for the science fans). The Universe might be more dynamic — and mysterious — than we ever imagined. 🪐💫 ✨ What is the Dark Energy Survey (DES)? • The DES is an international collaboration comprising 400+ scientists from 25+ institutions • Over 6 years (from 2013 to 2019) it mapped one-eighth of the sky in 758 nights 🌠 • The DES was conducted using the 570-megapixel DOE-fabricated Dark Energy Camera (DECam), mounted on the NSF Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, a Program of NSF NOIRLab. • DES studied dark energy through supernovae measurements, galaxy clustering analysis & weak gravitational lensing. • DES is led by DOE’s Fermilab. 📷 CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/P. Horálek (Institute of Physics in Opava) 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ePYEh9Jd

Is dark energy changing over time? 😱 By mapping nearly 15 million galaxies and quasars the DESI Survey has created the largest 3D map of our Universe ever! The survey suggests that dark energy, the mysterious force speeding up the expansion of the Universe, might not be constant 🤔… it could be changing over time. 🤯 If confirmed, this could transform how we understand the Universe itself. 🤯 ✨ What is the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI)? • DESI in an international experiment with more than 900+ researchers from 70+ institutions • DESI can capture light from 5,000 galaxies at once 🤯 • By mapping nearly 15 million galaxies and quasars, the DESI collaboration has created the largest 3D map of our Universe ever. 🌌 • The instrument is mounted on the Mayall 4-meter Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory, a program of NSF NOIRLab • It is managed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Berkeley Lab with primary funding from the DOE’s Office of Science. In this animation, the Earth is at the center, while bluer points indicate distant objects. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eBHj9A84 📷 DESI Collaboration/DOE/KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/R. Proctor

Here’s a day brightener 🌞 The Sun peeks out over an ocean of clouds in this image taken near Gemini North, one half of the International Gemini Observatory, a Program of NSF NOIRLab. Gemini North is located in Hawai’i near the summit of Maunakea, a dormant volcano that rises over 4200 meters (nearly 14,000 feet) above sea level. Gemini North’s elevated location is perfect for astronomical observations, providing high, dry and cold conditions that telescopes love. It also occasionally provides astronomers and technicians with the opportunity to work above the clouds. 📷: International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/J. Chu

Did you see last week’s big news about the NSF-DOE Rubin Observatory? They just successfully installed the world’s largest digital camera in the telescope — how amazing is that?! But that’s just the beginning! ✨ One of Rubin Observatory's science goals is watching for changes. 👀🌠 Rubin will image the entire southern sky every three nights. By comparing these images over time, Rubin’s data processing software will be able to detect any changes. The telescope will spot huge cosmic explosions called supernovae, variable stars that flare or regularly change brightness, binary stars passing in front of each other, and more. What mysteries are out there in the Universe waiting to be discovered? We can’t wait to find out! Once operational in 2025, Rubin will be jointly operated by NSF NOIRLab and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. 📷: Rubin Observatory/NSF/AURA

🌕✨ Did you see the total Lunar Eclipse? Our NOIRLab photo ambassador Petr Horálek captured breathtaking shots of this celestial event from our NSF Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile! 🌌📸 Where did you watch the eclipse from? 🌍🔭 Credit: CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/P. Horálek #LunarEclipse #Astronomy #Astrophotography #MoonGazing

Have you ever wished upon a shooting star?✨ Shooting stars are not actually stars at all, but are seen when small rocks from space, called meteoroids, smash through the Earth’s atmosphere. The rocks, as they pass through the atmosphere, cause a streak of light and become a meteor. This photographer was lucky enough to capture a meteor above the Gemini North telescope, one half of the International Gemini Observatory, supported in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation and operated by NSF NOIRLab. Petr Horálek, the photographer, is a NOIRLab Audiovisual Ambassador. 🔗https://lnkd.in/eze6cH_N Credit: International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/P. Horálek (Institute of Physics in Opava), M. Kosari #shootingstar #milkyway #astronomy #telescope