Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy
AURA is a consortium of universities, and educational and other non-profit institutions, that operates world-class astronomical observatories that they term “centers.” their members are 34 U.S. institutions and 7 international affiliates. they view themselves as acting on behalf of the science communities that are served by their centers, and as trustees and advocates for the centers’ missions.Their mission statement: “To promote excellence in astronomical research by providing access to state-of-the-art facilities.”AURA was founded in 1957 to create astronomical observing facilities that would be available for use by all qualified researchers and to serve the community through public outreach, education, and dissemination of information. It is our purpose to use our website as one means of accomplishing this goal.
The Gemini Observatory is an international partnership to operate twin 8.1-meter telescopes, one on Hawaii’s Mauna Kea and the other on Chile’s Cerro Pachon. The partners include the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Chile, Australia, Brazil, and Argentina. AURA manages Gemini under the auspices of the International Gemini Board and the U.S. National Science Foundation as its executive agency.NOAO operates telescopes for night-time astronomy. These telescopes are located on Kitt Peak in Arizona and Cerro Tololo in Chile, and are used by approximately one thousand professional astronomers and students each year. addition, NOAO provides support for the involvement of the U.S. astronomical community in the Gemini Observatory.
For more information, please visit http://www.aura-astronomy.org