Gemini News Archive
FIRST POTENTIALLY HABITABLE EARTH-SIZED PLANET CONFIRMED BY GEMINI AND KECK OBSERVATORIES
Press Release | 2014 April 17
The first Earth-sized exoplanet orbiting within the habitable zone of another star has been confirmed by observations with both the W. M. Keck Observatory and the Gemini Observatory.
Sakurai’s Object: Stellar Evolution in Real Time
Press Release | 2014 April 2
Using the Altair adaptive optics (AO) system with the Gemini North telescope on Mauna Kea in Hawai’i to compensate for distortions to starlight caused by the Earth’s atmosphere, two NOAO astronomers were able to observe the shell of escaping material around Sakurai’s Object (V4334 Sgr).
Limits on Binarity of Exoplanet Host Stars
Web Feature | 2014 February 20
New research by Stephen Kane (San Francisco State University) and collaborators shows that planets on highly eccentric (very non-circular) orbits are not necessarily explained by the presence of an additional star still present in the system. The Differential Speckle Survey Instrument (DSSI) on the Gemini North telescope was used in this research.
Gemini North Back On-sky: Dome Repairs Complete
Web Feature | 2014 February 18
Gemini North completed dome shutter system repairs and is back on-sky.
Gemini Planet Imager First Light!
Press Release | 2014 January 6
Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) was designed, built, and optimized for imaging faint planets next to bright stars and probing their atmospheres. It will also be a powerful tool for studying dusty, planet-forming disks around young stars. It is the most advanced such instrument to be deployed on the 8-meter Gemini South telescope in Chile.
FAST, FURIOUS, REFINED: SMALLER BLACK HOLES CAN EAT PLENTY
Press Release | 2013 November 26
Gemini observations support an unexpected discovery in the galaxy Messier 101. A relatively small black hole (20-30 times the mass of our Sun) can sustain a hugely voracious appetite while consuming material in an efficient and tidy manner – something previously thought impossible.
Gemini Planet Imager Begins On-sky Integration at Gemini South
Web Feature | 2013 November 14
Gemini's powerful new instrument for studying planets beyond the Solar System, the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI), has successfully received its first starlight for engineering and testing on the night of November 11-12.
Bringing the Universe Down-to-Earth in Chile
Web Feature | 2013 October 7
Gemini’s flagship local outreach program in Chile, Viaje al Universo, blasted off early last week when Gemini South’s Nancy Levenson addressed nearly 800 students at Colegio San Joaquin.
Gemini Confirms Lonely Planet Floating in Space
Web Feature | 2013 October 7
Observations using the Gemini Near-Infrared Imager (GNIRS) at the Gemini North telescope have confirmed one of the lowest mass free-floating planet known, perhaps the very lowest.
Observations Set Limits on Possible Atmosphere Around Distant World
Web Feature | 2013 September 24
The Gemini Planet Imager Arrives
Web Feature | 2013 September 9
The Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) is fully assembled in the Gemini South instrument lab and begins tesing and integration.
First Published Science Result from GeMS: “Young Stars Leave the Nest”
Web Feature | 2013 August 27
The first refereed science paper based on data from the Gemini Multi-conjugate adaptive optics System (GeMS) demonstrates the effective use of young, lower mass stars to determine the age of a star cluster.
ASTRONOMERS CELEBRATE “CELESTIAL POLLUTION” FROM PERSEID METEOR SHOWER
Press Release | 2013 August 9
“Celestial Pollution” from meteors like this weekend’s Perseid Meteor Shower sprinkle sodium high up in our atmosphere and give astronomers what they need to see the universe in much greater detail.
Poised for Discovery: Gemini’s Much-anticipated Infrared Instrument Goes On-sky
Press Release | 2013 August 6
Gemini Observatory’s latest instrument, a powerful infrared camera and spectrograph called FLAMINGOS-2 at Gemini South, reveals its potential in a series of striking on-sky commissioning images released today.
Gamma-Ray Burst Illuminates Galaxy in Dark Ages
Web Feature | 2013 August 6
Gemini observatory’s rapid-response allows for the detailed study of light from one of the most distant cases of a gamma-ray burst (GRB 130606A) illuminating a galaxy ever observed.
Revolutionary Instrument Delivers a Sharper Universe to Astronomers
Press Release | 2013 July 2
A unique new instrument, called GeMS, at Gemini South in Chile takes the removal of atmospheric distortions (using adaptive optics technology) to a new level. Today’s release of seven ultrasharp, large-field images from the instrument’s first science observations demonstrate its remarkable discovery potential.
Gas-Giant Exoplanets Cling Close to Their Parent Stars
Press Release | 2013 June 27
Gemini Observatory’s Planet-Finding Campaign finds that, around many types of stars, distant gas-giant planets are rare and prefer to cling close to their parent stars. The impact on theories of planetary formation could be significant.
Gemini Observatory Captures Comet ISON Hurtling Toward Uncertain Destiny with the Sun
Press Release | 2013 May 29
A new series of images from Gemini Observatory shows Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) racing toward an uncomfortably close rendezvous with the Sun. In late November the comet could present a stunning sight in the twilight sky and remain easily visible into early December of this year.
Gemini Arrives Early to the Scene of “Shockingly Bright” Gamma-ray Burst
Web Feature | 2013 May 13
Captured within 90 minutes of detection by both Fermi’s Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) and NASA’s Swift satellite, Gemini’s spectrum of the GRB 130427A surrendered a critical parameter: its distance, using Gemini’s rapid response Target of Opportunity protocols.
Now Quarterly, April Issue of GeminiFocus Available
Web Feature | 2013 April 9
The Gemini Observatory newsletter, GeminiFocus, is now quarterly and available as both a downloadable PDF and in an on-line e-reader format compatible with desktop browsers, tablets, e-readers, and smart phones.
