Free Astronomy Magazine January-February 2024

15 T his drone footage shows an aerial view of Gemini South in the Andes of Northern Chile. Gemini South is the southern member of the pair of 8.1-meter telescopes which together comprise the international Gemini Observatory, a Pro- gram of NSF’s NOIRLab. Though you might associate telescopes with darkness and starry nights, Gemini South spends its days basking in bright sunlight — hence the banks of solar panels surrounding the telescope. These panels provide roughly 28% of the power needed to run the telescope. It can be difficult to gauge the true size of observatories in aerial photographs like this. Try to spot the silver car hiding in the shadows behind Gemini South — it’s dwarfed by the telescope dome! [International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA] only benefit the environment on a local and global scale, but may also serve as an inspiration to the users of the telescopes and other research facilities. To encourage participa- tion, NOIRLab is working to modify an existing tool for carbon footprint calculations for use across research facilities in the US. “NSF’s NOIRLab is taking a leading role among international observato- ries in adopting more sustainable practices, such as the use of renew- able energy sources, and also taking a close look at how operations can be made more energy efficient,” says Chris Davis, NSF’s Program Di- rector for NOIRLab. With the broader goal of achieving a 50% CO 2 reduction by the end of 2027, NOIRLab’s Environmental Sus- tainability Program also addresses a recommendation made in the Astro2020 report, Pathways to Dis- covery in Astronomy and Astro- physics for the 2020s, which states, “The astronomy community should increase the use of remote observ- ing, hybrid conferences, and remote conferences, to decrease travel im- pact on carbon emissions and cli- mate change.” In response, NOIRLab is committed to reducing funded staff travel by approximately 50% by late 2026. This effort will also free up additional funding to be used to install energy-efficient equipment and solar panels across the facilities. Using additional approved supple- mental funding from the NSF, NOIR- Lab also proposes various other up- grades to the base and summit facil- ities in Arizona and Chile. This in- cludes replacing the very old heat- ing, ventilation, and air conditioning system in the NOIRLab Headquarters building in Tucson. This upgrade is expected to reduce the electricity usage by 690 MWh annually and reduce the carbon footprint from the facility’s electric- ity use by around 300 tons CO 2 equivalent annually. Funding will also cover the replacement of eight gasoline/diesel powered vehicles with electrical vehicles — the first phase of a larger shift to electric ve- hicles across the sites. Other funded projects include the installation of high-efficiency transformers, LED lighting, and energy-efficient data centers at NOIRLab’s facilities in Ari- zona and Chile (similar changes have already been implemented at the Hawai’i facilities). With currently approved funding, NOIRLab will achieve a reduction in its carbon footprint of about 43%. But the efforts will not stop there. Further funding to reach the goal of 50% reduction by 2027 is actively being pursued. These changes, both large and small, will bring NOIRLab closer to a more environmentally sustainable reality, allowing the facilities to continue making breakthroughs in astronomy while caring for our environment. Minimizing environmental impact is not just a possibility, it is a responsi- bility that NOIRLab is committed to act upon. !