Observatories
Here’s the Extremely New Website for the Extremely Large Telescope
In the vein of “go big or go home,” the European Southern Observatory (ESO) has launched a stunning new website…
Now you can Watch Actual Video of Arecibo Collapsing … If You Dare
The National Science Foundation released two different videos today showing the collapse of the Arecibo Observatory, as it happened on…
The Arecibo Observatory Platform Has Collapsed
Early this morning, the 900-ton instrument platform suspended above the Arecibo Observatory collapsed and crashed down on the iconic telescope’s…
A New Artist’s Illustration of the Extremely Large Telescope. So Many Lasers
Everyone loves lasers. And the only thing better than a bunch of lasers is a bunch of lasers on one…
The Carina Nebula. Seen With and Without Adaptive Optics
Ever wonder how modern astronomical observatories take such clear images of distant objects? Advances in mirror design have allowed for…
Climate Change is Making the Atmosphere Worse for Astronomy
Modern astronomical telescopes are extraordinarly powerful. And we keep making them more powerful. With telescopes like the Extremely Large Telescope…
It Looks Like Firefighters Saved Mt. Wilson Observatory
Thanks to the heroic efforts of firefighters, the Mt. Wilson Observatory is now safe from the California wildfires raging through…
Vera Rubin’s Monster 3200-Megapixel Camera Takes its First Picture (in the Lab)
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory has taken another step towards first light, projected for some time in 2022. Its enormous…
Gamma Rays Detected Coming From the Crab Nebula
Most people with any interest in astronomy know about the Crab Nebula. It's a supernova remnant in the constellation Taurus,…
WFIRST Will be Named After Nancy Grace Roman, NASA’s First Chief Astronomer
In honor of NASA's first Chief Astronomer and the "mother of Hubble," the WFIRST has been officially named the Nancy…