Nine years ago today, an asteroid exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia. It was only about 20 meters in diameter (or 55-65 feet) — by meteor and asteroid standards, pretty small, but as you may remember, it packed a punch.
News Category: Media
Largest comet ever observed bumps Hale-Bopp from pedestal
The Bernardinelli-Bernstein comet is named after its discoverers, University of Washington postdoctoral scholar Pedro Bernardinelli, and University of Pennsylvania cosmologist Gary Bernstein, who first spotted the comet in the Dark Energy Survey dataset.
Astronomers set up a new center to address issues raised by SpaceX and Amazon satellite networks
Are communication satellites leading to “the end of astronomy as we know it”?
UW Department of Astronomy research scientist, Meredith Rawls, explains the effects of satellite constellations on observatories.
Former Google CEO invests in computing help for university scientists
Schmidt Futures philanthropy launches Virtual Institute for Scientific Software
Dr. Gwendolyn Eadie Wins 2021 Polanyi Prize in Physics
DiRAC Alumni, Dr. Gwendolyn Eadie, wins 2021 Polanyi Prize in Physics for her leadership and research in the emerging interdisciplinary field of astrostatistics.
Željko Ivezić appointed Director of Rubin Observatory Construction
On January 3, 2022, Željko Ivezić assumed the role of Director of Rubin Observatory Construction, appointed by Matt Mountain, AURA President.
Professor Ivezić has been involved with Rubin Observatory/LSST since its inception in the early 2000s, serving for many years as Project Scientist and head of the Project Science Team.
Telescope’s launch makes Christmas merry for space fans, but the ride has just begun
UW astronomers take on the liftoff of an Ariane 5 rocket and James Webb Space Telescope.
Northern lights make appearance over Washington
Northwest astronomy fans got a treat Monday night as clear skies provided an excellent view of the northern lights over Washington state.
Telescope Mount Assembly (TMA) Awakens
Great success for Rubin Observatory!
On the summit, the Telescope Mount Assembly (TMA) began moving manually in azimuth and elevation on a thin film of oil in early September—for the first time since factory testing in Spain. You can see a video of this achievement on the Rubin Observatory YouTube channel.