NOAO Home Page Image Archive
The last 5 images that have appeared on the NOAO Home Page.
January 12, 2012
National Science Foundation Director Visits NOAO South
On January 9 and 10, the director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), Dr. Subra Suresh visited NSF optical astronomy facilities in Northern Chile. The NSF group included Dr. Ed Seidel (head of Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate) and Dr. Anne-Marie Schmoltner who is a program manager in the NSF International Science and Engineering Office.
January 06, 2012
T. Abbot & CTIO/NOAO/AURA/NSF
DECam Arrives!
Greg Derylo (Fermilab) confirms that the 72-CCD focal plane of the Dark Energy Camera suffered no mechanical trauma during its recent journey from Chicago to Tololo.
December 19, 2011
D. Talent, K. Don, P. Marenfeld & NOAO/AURA/NSF and the BRAVA Project
The Bar in the Center of the Milky Way
In a paper recently accepted for publication, Dr Andrea Kunder (CTIO) and colleagues confirm cylindrical rotation in the galactic bulge, confirming models that suggest the bulge consists of a single massive bar. The BRAVA fields are shown in this image montage. The center of the Milky Way is at coordinates L= 0, B=0. The regions observed are marked with colored circles. This montage shows the southern Milky Way all the way to the horizon, as seen from CTIO. The telescope in silhouette is the Blanco 4-meter, where the observation were made. NOAO Press Release 11-09
December 05, 2011
P. Marenfeld & NOAO/AURA/NSF
Ginormous Black Hole in NGC 3842 reported by Gemini Observatory
This figure shows the immense size of the black hole discovered in the galaxy NGC 3842. NGC 3842, shown in the background image, is the brightest galaxy in a rich cluster of galaxies. The black hole is at its center and is surrounded by stars (shown as an artist's concept in the central figure). The black hole is seven times larger than Pluto's orbit. Our solar system (inset) would be dwarfed by it. Nature Paper [PDF]
November 21, 2011
REU Student’s Work Helps to Detect Near Earth Asteroids
A program to characterize Near Earth Asteroids is being carried out at NOAO by Mark Trueblood. Last summer a student in the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program, Morgan Rehnberg, developed a computer program (PhAst), available via the web, to help with this effort. NOAO Press Release 11-07
Link to all previous images [243].
