National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory (NOIRLab) is a group of astronomy research centers funded by the United States government. It was formed in 2019 and operates five scientific programs: Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in northern Chile; Kitt Peak National Observatory near Tucson, Arizona; Gemini Observatory in Hawaii and Chile; Vera C. Rubin Observatory in north-central Chile; and the Community Science and Data Center in Tucson. The organization was formerly called the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) and was made up of a different group of research centers.
NOAO was established in 1982 to combine the nation’s major centers for optical astronomy into a single organization. Optical astronomy involves the use of optical telescopes, which capture visible light and infrared (heat) radiation to form images of the sun, planets, stars, galaxies, and other celestial objects. NOAO included Kitt Peak National Observatory; Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory; and the National Solar Observatory in Arizona and New Mexico, which is now part of a different research center group.
NOAO provided major research facilities to astronomers. Any astronomer could apply for time on NOAO telescopes to carry out research. In addition, NOAO maintained a staff of astronomers who improved and developed the observatory’s instruments, as well as conducted research. The NOIRLab continues to provide those services today.
Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory is on Cerro Tololo, a mountain about 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of La Serena, Chile. Astronomers there study celestial objects that cannot be seen from the Northern Hemisphere.
Kitt Peak National Observatory is located on Kitt Peak, about 60 miles (95 kilometers) southwest of Tucson. The observatory has a large collection of optical telescopes. Its biggest telescope is the 4-meter Mayall telescope, which contains a mirror 158 inches (4 meters) in diameter. Hundreds of astronomers from throughout the United States and other countries use Kitt Peak facilities each year.
NOAO’s United States Gemini Program participated in an international partnership that operated two 315-inch (8-meter) telescopes. The Gemini North Telescope is on Mauna Kea in Hawaii, and the Gemini South Telescope is on Cerro Pachón, near Cerro Tololo in central Chile. These two telescopes together are now called the Gemini Observatory and are a part of the NOIRLab.
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is also located on Cerro Pachón in central Chile. When complete, it will be a complex system with a 28-foot (8.4-meter) telescope and a powerful camera. It is to conduct a decade-long survey of the optical sky called the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). Observations are set to begin in 2022.
The Community Science and Data Center provides software systems, user services, and development initiatives to connect and support the scientific missions of the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, Gemini Observatory, Kitt Peak National Observatory, and LSST.
The NOIRLab is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Incorporated (AURA), a group of U.S. institutions and international affiliates. AURA is under contract to the National Science Foundation, a federal agency.
See also Sun (History of modern solar study) ; Telescope .
