International Gemini Observatory (NSF NOIRLab)

The International Gemini Observatory operates two 8.1-meter optical and infrared telescopes, one in each hemisphere, so together they can see the whole sky. Gemini North on Maunakea, Hawaii, saw first light in 1999 and began science in 2000; Gemini South on Cerro Pachón, Chile, saw first light in 2000. The US National Science Foundation provides about 70% of the funding, with Canada, Chile, Brazil, Argentina and South Korea as partners, and NSF NOIRLab runs the observatory.

Flagship instruments

• GMOS (North and South): multi-object spectrographs and imagers, Gemini’s workhorses.
• GNIRS: a near-infrared spectrograph.
• GeMS: multi-conjugate adaptive optics, first light on December 16, 2011.
• Gemini Planet Imager: can directly image planets one-millionth as bright as their star.

Recent results

With Keck, Gemini took the first image of a multi-planet system, HR 8799, in 2008. In 2026, GMOS on Gemini North revealed that the remnant of the supernova of 1181 is threaded with chains of tiny knots, with about ten times more filament structure than seen before. Gemini North spectrographs also characterized the lensing galaxy in front of the “Shadow Blaster,” a likely neutrino source, and helped measure winds on hot Jupiters that point to magnetic fields. Gemini South GMOS spectra went into the 3D map of the most distant proto-supercluster yet.

What to watch, 2026-2030

Our sources list no dated Gemini milestones for 2026-2030. Watch Gemini South in particular: it shares Cerro Pachón with the Rubin Observatory, whose survey began in mid-2026 and can issue up to about 7 million alerts a night.

Why scientists are converging here

Gemini is built for quick, flexible follow-up in both hemispheres, which is exactly what survey astronomy needs. Its 2026 results span stars, exoplanets and galaxies, and most came from combining Gemini spectra with data from other observatories.