The Gemini Observatory consists of two twin telescopes, each with an 8.1-metre mirror, so that astronomers can observe the whole sky from both hemispheres. Gemini North stands on Mauna Kea in Hawaii and Gemini South on Cerro Pachon in Chile. The project was built by an international partnership including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Chile, Australia, Argentina and Brazil, and it is managed through the US National Science Foundation's NOIRLab. Both telescopes were designed to work well in infrared light and use adaptive optics to sharpen images by correcting for atmospheric blurring. They have been used to study exoplanets, distant galaxies, black holes and the formation of stars.
Before and after
- 1999Founding of European System of Central Banks
- 1999Launch of Box Office Mojo
- 1999Creation of XSLT
- 1999Construction of Shanghai Pudong International Airport
- 1999Founding of Gemini Observatory
- 1999Construction of Jin Mao Tower
- 1999The euro is launched
- 1999The Vostok ice core reveals 420,000 years of climate history
- 3 January 1999Launch of Mars Polar Lander
More in Universe & space
- 4 October 1957Launch of Sputnik 1
- 22 October 1969Discovery of 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko
- 14 September 1974Discovery of Leda
- 28 July 1989Discovery of Galatea
- 19 January 2006Launch of New Horizons
- 26 June 2012Discovery of Styx
The era
This moment belongs to the Contemporary world (1945 CE to today), the world since 1945. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.