Gemini News Archive
Amateur Astronomers Travel Deep Into Stellar Cocoon Using Gemini
Press Release | 2005 May 17
Recently a Canadian amateur astronomy group took advantage of a rare opportunity and used the Gemini 8-meter telescope to look more deeply into the remains of a particular stellar nursery than anyone ever has.
Background Information: Laser Guide Stars
Press Release | 2005 April 28
An Laser Guide Star is produced by a relatively low power laser beam that shines up from a telescope into a layer of sodium gas in our upper atmosphere, creating a temporary artificial "star."
First Measurement of Hyperfine Splitting Constant in an Astrophysical Object
Web Feature | 2005 April 28
A joint Chile-United Kingdom team has used the NOAO-built Phoenix near-infrared spectrometer on Gemini South to obtain high-resolution spectra (R~75,000) of the [Al VI] 3.66-micron line region in the planetary nebula NGC 6302 (the Bug Nebula).
Sedna Reveals Pristine Surface in Gemini Near-infrared Spectra
Web Feature | 2005 April 12
Recent spectroscopic studies of infrared light reflected from the surface of Sedna reveal that it is probably unlike Pluto and Charon since Sedna's surface does not display evidence for a large amount of either water or methane ice.
First Paper from Gemini/HST Galaxy Survey: It Takes More Than Aging to Shape A Galaxy
Web Feature | 2005 March 28
Can galaxies observed at very high redshifts (at a time when the universe was a fraction of its current age) evolve to look like today's nearby galaxies simply by growing older? The answer is no.
Formation of Young Massive Stars Unshrouded
Web Feature | 2005 March 11
The combination of Gemini sensitivity and Phoenix spectral resolution has allowed a team to observe a set of objects toward several GHII regions and search for kinematic clues to the circumstellar geometry of newly forming massive stars.
GMOS-South Probes Gas and Stellar Dynamics in Post-Merger Galaxy
Web Feature | 2005 February 23
Using the IFU on GMOS-South, an international research team explores a spheroidal galaxy that captured a small gas-rich galaxy in a merger that led to a burst of star formation.
100th Gemini Paper Reveals White Dwarf Progenitors are Prolific Mass Expellers
Web Feature | 2005 January 27
A Canadian, U.S., and Australian team selected 24 individual white dwarfs in the field of the rich open star cluster NGC 2099 (M37), the largest spectroscopic sample ever obtained of white dwarfs in an individual star cluster.
Dusting for Clues: Gemini Discovers Evidence for Colliding Bodies in Planet Forming Disk
Press Release | 2005 January 13
Astronomers using T-ReCS have observed new details in the dusty disk surrounding the nearby star Beta Pictoris which show that a large collision between planetary-sized bodies may have occurred there as recently as the past few decades.
Stunning Images Herald Opening of Gemini Observatory's Image Gallery
Press Release | 2005 January 10
A pair of beautiful images (NGC 1532/NGC1531 and NGC 2467) released today in San Diego at the 205th meeting of the American Astronomical Society marks the formal debut of the Gemini Observatory’s Image Gallery.
Gemini Observatory Welcomes 2005 with Release of Galactic Fireworks Image
Press Release | 2005 January 1
In the image, the face-on spiral galaxy NGC 6946 is ablaze with colorful galactic fireworks fueled by the births and deaths of multitudes of brilliant, massive stars.
New Clouds Add to Titan's Mystery
Press Release | 2004 December 15
A U.S. team has discovered a new phenomenon in the atmosphere of Saturn’s largest moon Titan. The new images reveal atmospheric disturbances at Titan’s temperate mid latitudes—about halfway between the equator and the poles.
Gemini Observatory Announces Selection of 2005 StarTeachers
Press Release | 2004 December 9
Gemini Observatory announced the six teachers selected for the 2005 StarTeachers exchange program between Hawaii and Chile.
Gemini North 8-meter Primary Mirror Successfully Coated with Silver on Mauna Kea
Web Feature | 2004 December 7
Gemini staff have successfully repeated the coating of a 8-meter primary mirror with protected silver during a 9-day shutdown period in November.
Strong spectral signatures of steam betray low mass brown dwarf using GNIRS at Gemini South
Web Feature | 2004 November 30
A team of researchers used the newly commissioned GNIRS on Gemini South to determine the nature of the low-mass object OTS 44.
Gemini Observes Remains of Massive Star Cluster Near Milky Way's Galactic Center
Web Feature | 2004 November 4
A team of astronomers has confirmed the physical association of a cluster of massive stars in the infrared source IRS 13 near the center of the Milky Way galaxy using Hokupa'a/QUIRC.
Gemini Detects Something "Cool" in Our Neighborhood: Closest Known Brown Dwarf has a Companion
Web Feature | 2004 October 27
Epsilon Indi Ba is the closest confirmed brown dwarf to our solar system. Astronomers using PHOEBIX on Gemini South telescope made a related but unexpected detection of its companion, Epsilon Indi Bb.
Deep near infrared Gemini observations with NIRI refute alleged redshift z = 10 galaxy
Web Feature | 2004 October 19
An international team used the Gemini North Near Infrared Imager (NIRI) to obtain even deeper H-band images of the field of the possible z=10 galaxy.
Galactic Contortionists Captured by Gemini
Web Feature | 2004 October 9
Stephan's Quintet image released today captures the graceful interactions of a galactic ballet, on a stage some 300 million light years away, that might better be described as a contortionist's dance.
Why do Galaxies in the Young Universe Appear so Mature?
Press Release | 2004 October 8
Gemini Deep Deep Survey (GDDS) revealed that the galaxies appear to be more fully formed and mature than expected at the early stage in the evolution of the Universe.
