Dark Universe | NOIRLab

Dark Universe | NOIRLab

NSF NOIRLab, funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), has played a central role in unraveling examples of the greatest mysteries in astronomy, but nothing more profound or unexpected than the discovery of the Dark Universe. This NOIRLab-produced film will take you on a journey of discovery as it showcases the breakthrough research on dark matter and dark energy taking place across multiple NSF NOIRLab Programs.

Dark Universe premiered on December 16, 2025 during the grand opening of the Windows on the Universe Center for Astronomy Outreach (Windows Center), a new public science center located inside the recently-retired McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope at NSF Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) in Arizona. The McMath’s unique interior has been retrofitted with interactive exhibits and educational programs focused on astronomy funded by the NSF. To experience the film in person, visit the Windows Center's new theater, where Dark Universe is screened continuously throughout the day.

This film features the U.S. Department of Energy-fabricated Dark Energy Camera (DECam), a high-performance, wide-field CCD imager mounted at the prime focus of the NSF Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) in Chile. DECam was designed to carry out the Dark Energy Survey (DES) with the goal of revealing the nature of the mysterious dark energy. The 570-megapixel camera was built and tested at DOE’s Fermilab, and was operated by the DOE and NSF between 2013 and 2019. At present, DECam is utilized for programs covering a wide range of science. The DECam science archive is curated by the Community Science and Data Center (CSDC). CSDC and CTIO are Programs of NSF NOIRLab. 

Dark Universe also showcases the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Survey, an international experiment with more than 900 researchers from over 70 institutions. DESI is managed by DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), with primary funding from the Department’s Office of Science. The instrument is mounted on the NSF Nicholas U. Mayall 4-meter Telescope at KPNO.

The next era of research into the Dark Universe will be brought about by NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, a major new scientific facility jointly funded by the NSF and the DOE's Office of Science. Rubin Observatory is a joint program of NSF NOIRLab and DOE’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, who will cooperatively operate Rubin. NOIRLab is managed by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA).

Credits: NOIRLab/NSF/AURA
Acknowledgements: 
Produced & Edited by: Ron Proctor 
Directed by: Lars Lindberg Christensen 
Executive Producer: Lars Lindberg Christensen 
Written by: Jenny Shipway, Lars Lindberg Christensen, & Nicole Kuchta
Narration: BJ Whimpey
Colorist and Post-Production Processing: Mahdi Zamani & Maral Kosari
Duration: 15 minutes
Release Date: Dec. 24, 2025

 

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