This is it. The FIRST released video from @VRubinObs. A new era of astronomy starts now! ✨. How many galaxies do you think are in this image? 10 MILLION 🤯. Here, Rubin’s view is focused on the southern region of the Virgo Cluster. 📹: RubinObs/NOIRLab/SLAC/NSF/DOE/AURA

When your “office view” includes 360° of mountains and the occasional whisper of wind… .Yeah, we are pretty lucky 🤩. This panoramic view was taken at @CerroTololo in Chile. 📷 CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/T. Matsopoulos

What do you want to know?.

We're soarin', flyin'.There's not a star in heaven.That we can't reach 💃🎶. Today we’re soaring high in the sky to get an aerial view of the 4.1-meter Southern Astrophysical Research (SOAR) Telescope on Cerro Pachón in Chile. 📸NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/T. Matsopoulos.#astronomy

Vote to bring our panel “Revolutionizing Astronomy + AI with Next Generation Big Data” to SXSW! . Register for a SXSW account & vote by clicking the heart ❤️ - open now til Aug 24!. 🔗

No, the sky didn’t get brighter, it’s a photographic trick! . This stacked image from Cerro Pachón 🇨🇱, shows hours of starlight captured in trails with the setting Sun, passing car headlights, and the laser beam from @Geminiobs South. 📸 @GeminiObs/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/P. Horálek

Here’s how to book your tour of @KittPeakNatObs! 🔭. Tours include an inside look at some incredible telescopes, mountaintop views, and inspiration to last a lifetime ✨Did we mention we’re a 2025 Travelers' Choice Awards winner? 😉. Book here 👉

Become a Kitt Peak Docent! .Love astronomy and sharing it with others? ✨ The @KittPeakNatObs Visitor Center is looking for volunteers! . 👉 Apply here . #KittPeak #Astronomy #Volunteers #DarkSkies #Tucson #Docents

This galaxy ate a smaller galaxy. 😳 We’re not judging, just observing. 🔭. This merger of spiral galaxies, NGC 4568 (bottom) and NGC 4567 (top), was observed by Gemini North, in Hawai‘i, one half of @geminiobs. 📷International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA

NSF–DOE @VRubinObs found 2100+ asteroids in just 10 hours over parts of seven nights, but some of them looked a little familiar.🧐Rubin re-discovered hundreds of known asteroids that scientists had lost over time, like a cosmic lost-and-found!.📷RubinObs/NOIRLab/SLAC/NSF/DOE/AURA

We should address the elephant in the room 🐘. IC 1396A, informally known as the Elephant’s Trunk Nebula, is a dark, dense cloud of gas embedded within the larger nebula IC 1396. 📷: T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage) and H. Schweiker (WIYN and NOIRLab/NSF/AURA)

The Trifid Nebula is giving major multitasker energy: part emission nebula, part reflection nebula, and part dark nebula. Honestly, goals. This image from NSF–DOE @VRubinObs showcases Trifid’s bright, colorful cloud of gas and dust. 📷: RubinObs/NOIRLab/SLAC/NSF/DOE/AURA

🌟 Help measure sky brightness from wherever you are! 🌍✨. Join @GlobeAtNight & measure sky brightness until August 15, using just your phone, tablet, or computer! 📱💻 Every data point counts!. Let’s hit 20,000 measurements by the end of 2025! 💫🌃

She's an icon, she's a legend, and she IS the moment. 🏆 The sun sets behind NSF–DOE @vrubinobs in Chile. Rubin will use the largest camera ever built to repeatedly image the sky for 10 years. Credit: RubinObs/NSF/DOE/NOIRLab/SLAC/AURA/W. O'Mullane

🎂 60 years and still looking up!.Since 1965, @CerroTololo has been exploring the Universe from its mountaintop home near the Andes. Here’s to many more years of discovery from our corner of Chile. ❤️🔭. 📷: CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/P. Horálek

🚀Calling all astronomy educators! 🚀. 👉 If you’re teaching astronomy or space science, we want to hear from you. Take our short survey to share how you’re using AI in your classroom, and how we can support you with resources and training. 🔗

Ever wonder how we keep the roads clear and telescopes running smoothly when the winter weather hits?.On today's Behind the Science, we're seeing the operations team in action! 🚜🔭. #BehindTheScience #TelescopeLife #Snow #NOIRLab #Astronomy

The galaxy NGC 1566 has a supermassive black hole in its center. Black holes are invisible (like John Cena),but if a galaxy’s material swirls into its central black hole, it releases bright light for astronomers to find. 📸Dark Energy Survey/DOE/FNAL/DECam/CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA

This @Barbie is an astronomer 🔭💞. Today we’re highlighting some of our favorite pink pictures of interstellar clouds taken throughout the years. Nebulae are often formed as older stars die, and they serve as birthplaces for baby stars! ✨. 📷Collage: NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/N. Kuchta

Join us for the annual Perseid meteor shower on Tuesday, 12 August at @KittPeakNatObs!. 🔭 Level-up your meteor viewing with our Visitor Center telescopes.🌌 Limited tour spots still available, don’t miss this unforgettable night!.🔗 Book your spot at

Feeling dizzy yet? 😵‍💫This long-exposure image of Gemini North, one half of the International GeminiObs, captures a concentric pattern created by the stars ✨as they move across the sky. 📷International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA

We’re smitten like a kitten for the Cat’s Paw Nebula 🐈✨. NGC 6334 is a star-forming region that is reddened by the Milky Way’s dust. This pic was taken with the Blanco telescope at @cerrotololo in Chile . 📸NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/T.A. Rector/University of Alaska Anchorage/T. Abbot