By harnessing the capabilities of the 8.1-meter Gemini South telescope in Chile, which is part of the International Gemini Observatory operated by NSF’s NOIRLab, astronomers have obtained the sharpest image ever of the star R136a1, the most massive known star in the Universe.
About: Shari
Recent Posts by Shari
Vice President for Corporate Strategy Jean Toal Eisen comes to AURA after serving on the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Appropriations since 2010, most recently in the position of Staff Director/Clerk of the Commerce Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee under the leadership of Senator Jeanne Shaheen and previously under Senator Barbara Mikulski. She was responsible for […]
Deputy Director, Space Telescope Science Institute Dr. Nancy A. Levenson is a Senior Scientist and Deputy Director of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI). She is also a research professor at the Johns Hopkins University. Previous appointments include Interim Director of STScI, Deputy Director and head of science at Gemini Observatory, and tenured faculty at […]
AURA welcomes Dr. Nancy A. Levenson as the Interim Director of Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI). Dr. Levenson will take over from Dr. Ken Sembach.
Analyzing data from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and several other observatories, astronomers have concluded that the bright red supergiant star Betelgeuse quite literally blew its top in 2019, losing a substantial part of its visible surface and producing a gigantic Surface Mass Ejection (SME). This is something never before seen in a normal star’s behavior.
The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, is thrilled to announce that retired U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski is donating her space memorabilia collection to STScI.
The Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) is pleased to announce Jean Toal Eisen will join the AURA Corporate Office on August 16, 2022, as the new Vice President for Corporate Strategy.
AURA salutes the international effort of talented people who worked so hard to make these first JWST images possible.
The International Gemini Observatory, a program of the National Science Foundation’s (NSF’s) NOIRLab, which operates the Gemini North telescope on Maunakea, and its management agency the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), wish to acknowledge the Hawai‘i State Legislature for their hard work and diligence in shepherding through House Bill 2024 CD1 which will become law within the next several days.
The Contreras Fire reached the Kitt Peak National Observatory during the early morning of Friday 17 June 2022. We are working with the firefighters at the site to assess the damage and will share details about the facilities as we learn more. We remain in an active fire situation with rapidly changing conditions.
A brush fire that has been designated the Contreras Fire is burning near Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) in southern Arizona. The Fire began on a remote ridge of the Baboquivari Mountains, north of the Baboquivari Peak on the Tohono O’odham Nation on Saturday, 11 June 2022. It is burning grass and brush in steep and rugged terrain that is difficult for firefighters to access.
Astronomers estimate that 100 million black holes roam among the stars in our Milky Way galaxy, but they have never conclusively identified an isolated black hole.
Astronomers may now understand why the similar planets Uranus and Neptune are different colors. Using observations from the Gemini North telescope, the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility, and the Hubble Space Telescope, researchers have developed a single atmospheric model that matches observations of both planets.
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) commissioning is on the final stretch before the telescope can start science observations! With the telescope mirrors aligned and focused, attention turns to testing JWST’s four powerful instruments in a variety of different operational modes.
Each year the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) holds an Annual Meeting for the Representatives from its Member Institutions. The 2022 meeting, held virtually this year April 25-27, included updates on AURA’s facilities, elections for AURA governance positions, and discussions about the recommendations from the 2020 Decadal Survey.
Recent Comments by Shari
No comments by Shari yet.