Gemini News Archive
Young Asteroid Families Newly Classified by GMOS
Web Feature | 2008 August 14
Optical spectroscopy from the Gemini telescopes has revealed a relatively uncommon type of asteroid in the main-belt for the first time.
Gemini North Mirror Receives New Silver Coating During Major Shutdown
Web Feature | 2008 August 14
Gemini North telescope facility on Mauna Kea underwent a major 20-day scheduled shutdown, during which the 8-meter primary mirror received new silver coating.
A Rotating Compact Nuclear Stellar Cluster in NGC 4244
Web Feature | 2008 July 31
Anil C. Seth and collaborators demonstrate that the massive nuclear stellar cluster at the core of the spiral galaxy NGC 4244 is strongly rotating based on NIFS plus AO observations at Gemini North.
The 500th Referred Gemini Paper
Web Feature | 2008 July 8
In mid June 2008, the 500th refereed Gemini paper was accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal, one of the main refereed astronomical journals.
The Last Supernova Legacy Survey Spectrum
Web Feature | 2008 July 5
The Supernova Legacy Survey (SNLS) had ambitious goals from the start - to produce a definitive sample of distant supernovae for cosmology. The 5-year survey began in 2003 and the final supernova spectrum was recently taken at Gemini North.
Probing the host galaxy of a luminous quasar
Web Feature | 2008 July 1
A team has made the first bulge stellar velocity dispersion measurement of a luminous quasar host with the Gemini North Laser Guide Star adaptive optics system.
Twin Galaxies in a Gravitational Embrace
Press Release | 2008 June 26
Astronomers at Gemini Observatory have imaged two nearly identical spiral galaxies in Virgo, 90 million light years distant, in the early stages of a gentle gravitational embrace.
Catching the Light of a Baby Supernova
Press Release | 2008 May 21
In a rapid follow-up observations of a mysterious X-ray flash in the galaxy NGC 2770 the Gemini North telescope was able to obtain a set of optical spectra that contains the earliest spectrum of a massive star ending its life in a supernova explosion outside of our galaxy's neighborhood
Gemini Observatory Captures Image of Galaxy With "Baby Supernova" SN 2008D
Press Release | 2008 May 21
NGC 2770 has been captured by the Gemini Observatory in a spectacular new image that shows at least three recent supernovae locations including SN 2008D.
Does Methane Rain Down on Titan?
Web Feature | 2008 May 16
A team of astronomers has used infrared spectral images of Saturn's moon, Titan, acquired with the Gemini North Telescope, to dispute an earlier claimed detection of widespread morning methane drizzle.
Sampling Star-formation in Local LIRGs
Web Feature | 2008 May 6
Using T-ReCS on Gemini South, an international team led by Tanio Diaz-Santos (CSIC, Spain) has completed a survey of nearby Luminous Infrared Galaxies (LIRGs) at 8-microns.
Two Very Young Massive Stars Unshrouded with LGS AO
Web Feature | 2008 April 14
An international team employed the Gemini North Laser Guide Star (LGS) adaptive optics system Altair to probe deep into the core of star forming region W51
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Ammonia Found in Atmosphere of Coolest Brown Dwarf
Web Feature | 2008 April 10
Observations taken at Gemini North have detected ammonia in the spectra of the coolest brown dwarf. This is the first time such a finding has been made in near-infrared spectra of a sub-stellar object other than a planet
Spectacular Star Cluster May Host Black Hole Missing Link
Press Release | 2008 April 2
The well-known naked-eye star cluster Omega Centauri may be home to an elusive intermediate-mass black hole. Observations made using Gemini Observatory and Hubble Space Telescope provide convincing evidence that such black holes do exist and could even lead to an understanding of how they might evolve into larger supermassive black holes.
Light Echoes Bring 400-year-old Supernova Into Focus
Web Feature | 2008 March 20
Using the powerful nod-and-shuffle technique from the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph at Gemini South, a research team led by Armin Rest (CTIO) have successfully obtained spectra from supernova light bouncing off interstellar dust.
Gemini Kicks off Local Outreach in 2008
Web Feature | 2008 March 5
Now in its second year, AstroDay Chile attracted an estimated 7,000 visitors to the local Mall Plaza La Serena and Gemini was joined by essentially all of the local astronomical institutions in central and northern Chile.
The United Kingdom a Full Partner in Gemini
Web Feature | 2008 February 27
More Evidence of Gas Inflows Into an Active Galaxy’s Nucleus
Web Feature | 2008 February 20
A team of astronomers have detected streaming gas flows toward the Seyfert nucleus of NGC 4051 located at an estimated distance of about 9.3 Megaparsecs.
Detection of Substellar Companion in Interacting Binary
Web Feature | 2008 February 19
The binary star SDSS J121209.31+013627.7, commonly known as SDSS 1212, is possibly the first interacting binary where a substellar companion has been directly detected -- with GNIRS on Gemini South.
