Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy
Encyclopedia
The Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) is a consortium of universities and other institutions that operates astronomical
observatories
and telescope
s. AURA recognizes its mission statement as "To promote excellence in astronomical research by providing access to state-of-the-art facilities."
Founded October 10, 1957 with the encouragement of the NSF, AURA was incorporated by a group of seven U.S. universities (California, Chicago, Harvard, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio State, and Wisconsin). The first meeting of the Board of Directors took place in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Today, AURA has 32 U.S. Member Institutions and 7 International Affiliate members.
AURA began as a small organization dedicated to ground-based optical astronomy, managing a range of 1- to 4-meter telescopes and providing community advocacy for optical/infrared astronomy. Over the years, AURA expanded its focus to include Solar Astronomy and the Gemini 8-meter telescopes, going on to partner with other consortia such as WIYN (Wisconsin Indiana Yale & NOAO) and SOAR (Southern Astrophysical Research). In the 1980s, AURA took on the management of the Space Telescope Science Institute, opening up the ultraviolet, optical, and infrared wavelength bands in space with the Hubble Space Telescope. AURA is furthering its aims in infrared space astronomy through the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
The organization is responsible for the operation of several world-class observatories, known as "AURA centers": the Gemini Observatory; the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO); the National Solar Observatory (NSO); the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI); and the AURA Observatory (AURA-O).
Dr. Smith was appointed President of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) in February 2000. The President, as the chief executive officer, serves as the primary representative or spokesperson for AURA. The President is a member of the Board of Directors and implements policy decisions of the Board. The President serves the Board of Directors as its principal executive officer, providing leadership and guidance on policy matters, coordinating the activities of the Board and its various committees. The President is also responsible for maintaining effective working relationships with AURA Member Universities.
Prior to his appointment with AURA, Dr. Smith served 14 years as a professional staff member in various capacities on the House Committee on Science. He acted as Science Advisor from 1985 to 1988 and was then appointed Staff Director, Subcommittee on Space.
Dr. Bruce Carney (Chair)
Arts & Sciences Dean's Office , University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Dr. Frederic Chaffee
University of North Carolina
Dr. Peter Gilman
High Altitude Observatory, National Center for Atmospheric Research
Dr. Heidi Hammel
Space Science Institute
Dr. Timothy Heckman
Dept. of Physics & Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University
Dr. Lynne Hillenbrand
Astronomy and Astrophysics, California Institute of Technology
Dr. Elizabeth Hoffman
Iowa State University
Dr. Jeffrey Kuhn
Institute for Astronomy/University of Hawaii
Dr. Malcolm Longair
Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge
Dr. John Peoples Jr.
Fermilab
Prof. Bradley Peterson
Department of Astronomy, Ohio State University
Dr. Caty Pilachowski (Vice Chair)
Astronomy Department, Indiana University
Dr. Maria Teresa Ruiz
Departamento de Astronomia, Universidad de Chile
Prof. Penny Sackett
Research School of Astronomy & Astrophysics, The Australian National University
Dr. Michael Shull
Dept. Of Astrophysical & Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado
Dr. William Smith (ex officio)
AURA
Dr. Paula Szkody
Astronomy Department, University of Washington
19912 Aurapenenta
was named in honour of the association's fiftieth anniversary, on 1 June 2007.
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
observatories
Observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed...
and telescope
Telescope
A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
s. AURA recognizes its mission statement as "To promote excellence in astronomical research by providing access to state-of-the-art facilities."
Founded October 10, 1957 with the encouragement of the NSF, AURA was incorporated by a group of seven U.S. universities (California, Chicago, Harvard, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio State, and Wisconsin). The first meeting of the Board of Directors took place in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Today, AURA has 32 U.S. Member Institutions and 7 International Affiliate members.
AURA began as a small organization dedicated to ground-based optical astronomy, managing a range of 1- to 4-meter telescopes and providing community advocacy for optical/infrared astronomy. Over the years, AURA expanded its focus to include Solar Astronomy and the Gemini 8-meter telescopes, going on to partner with other consortia such as WIYN (Wisconsin Indiana Yale & NOAO) and SOAR (Southern Astrophysical Research). In the 1980s, AURA took on the management of the Space Telescope Science Institute, opening up the ultraviolet, optical, and infrared wavelength bands in space with the Hubble Space Telescope. AURA is furthering its aims in infrared space astronomy through the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
The organization is responsible for the operation of several world-class observatories, known as "AURA centers": the Gemini Observatory; the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO); the National Solar Observatory (NSO); the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI); and the AURA Observatory (AURA-O).
Centers
- Gemini ObservatoryGemini ObservatoryThe Gemini Observatory is an astronomical observatory consisting of two telescopes at sites in Hawai‘i and Chile. Together, the twin Gemini telescopes provide almost complete coverage of both the northern and southern skies...
managed by AURA for an international partnership to operate twin telescopes, one on Mauna KeaMauna KeaMauna Kea is a volcano on the island of Hawaii. Standing above sea level, its peak is the highest point in the state of Hawaii. However, much of the mountain is under water; when measured from its oceanic base, Mauna Kea is over tall—significantly taller than Mount Everest...
in HawaiiHawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
and the other on Cerro PachonCerro PachónCerro Pachón is a mountain located close to Chilean city of Vicuña and 10 km southeast of the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, at an altitude of 2,715 m over the sea level in the foothills of the Andes. The location is exceedingly dry, making it suitable for infrared observations....
in ChileChileChile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. - National Optical Astronomy ObservatoryNational Optical Astronomy ObservatoryThe National Optical Astronomy Observatory is the United States national observatory for ground based nighttime ultraviolet-optical-infrared astronomy. The National Science Foundation funds NOAO to provide forefront astronomical research facilities for US astronomers...
(NOAO) - AURA operates NOAO telescopes at Kitt PeakKitt Peak National ObservatoryThe Kitt Peak National Observatory is a United States astronomical observatory located on 2,096 m Kitt Peak of the Quinlan Mountains in the Arizona-Sonoran Desert on the Tohono O'odham Nation, southwest of Tucson...
in ArizonaArizonaArizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and Cerro TololoCerro Tololo Inter-American ObservatoryThe Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory is a complex of astronomical telescopes and instruments located at 30.169 S, 70.804 W, approximately 80 km to the East of La Serena, Chile at an altitude of 2200 metres. The complex is part of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory along with Kitt...
in Chile. - National Solar ObservatoryNational Solar ObservatoryThe mission of the National Solar Observatory is to advance knowledge of the Sun, both as an astronomical object and as the dominant external influence on Earth, by providing forefront observational opportunities to the research community...
(NSO) - AURA operates NSO conducting research at Sacramento Peak in New MexicoNew MexicoNew Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
and at Kitt PeakKitt PeakKitt Peak is a mountain in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is the location of the Kitt Peak National Observatory. The radio telescope at the Observatory is one of ten dishes comprising the Very Long Baseline Array ....
in Arizona. - Space Telescope Science InstituteSpace Telescope Science InstituteThe Space Telescope Science Institute is the science operations center for the Hubble Space Telescope and for the James Webb Space Telescope...
(STScI) - AURA manages STScI for NASANASAThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
to carry out the scientific mission of the Hubble Space TelescopeHubble Space TelescopeThe Hubble Space Telescope is a space telescope that was carried into orbit by a Space Shuttle in 1990 and remains in operation. A 2.4 meter aperture telescope in low Earth orbit, Hubble's four main instruments observe in the near ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared...
. - New Initiative Office (NIO) - AURA established the NIO to work towards construction of a Giant Segmented Mirror Telescope.
President
President: Dr. William S. Smith, JrDr. Smith was appointed President of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) in February 2000. The President, as the chief executive officer, serves as the primary representative or spokesperson for AURA. The President is a member of the Board of Directors and implements policy decisions of the Board. The President serves the Board of Directors as its principal executive officer, providing leadership and guidance on policy matters, coordinating the activities of the Board and its various committees. The President is also responsible for maintaining effective working relationships with AURA Member Universities.
Prior to his appointment with AURA, Dr. Smith served 14 years as a professional staff member in various capacities on the House Committee on Science. He acted as Science Advisor from 1985 to 1988 and was then appointed Staff Director, Subcommittee on Space.
AURA Board of Directors
The Board, which meets quarterly, establishes the policies of AURA, approves its budget, elects members of the Management Councils, and appoints the President, the Center Directors, and other principal officers. The Board of Directors is responsible to the Member Representatives for the effective management of AURA and the achievement of its purposes.Dr. Bruce Carney (Chair)
Arts & Sciences Dean's Office , University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Dr. Frederic Chaffee
University of North Carolina
Dr. Peter Gilman
High Altitude Observatory, National Center for Atmospheric Research
Dr. Heidi Hammel
Heidi Hammel
-Background:Dr. Heidi B. Hammel is the Executive Vice President of AURA, Inc. , a consortium of 37 US members and 7 international affiliates...
Space Science Institute
Dr. Timothy Heckman
Dept. of Physics & Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University
Dr. Lynne Hillenbrand
Astronomy and Astrophysics, California Institute of Technology
Dr. Elizabeth Hoffman
Elizabeth Hoffman (professor)
Elizabeth Hoffman is the Executive Vice President and Provost and professor of economics at Iowa State University. From 2000 to 2005, she was President of the University of Colorado System, where she is President Emerita...
Iowa State University
Dr. Jeffrey Kuhn
Institute for Astronomy/University of Hawaii
Dr. Malcolm Longair
Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge
Dr. John Peoples Jr.
Fermilab
Prof. Bradley Peterson
Department of Astronomy, Ohio State University
Dr. Caty Pilachowski (Vice Chair)
Astronomy Department, Indiana University
Dr. Maria Teresa Ruiz
Departamento de Astronomia, Universidad de Chile
Prof. Penny Sackett
Penny Sackett
Penny Diane Sackett is an American-born Australian astronomer and former director of the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the Australian National University...
Research School of Astronomy & Astrophysics, The Australian National University
Dr. Michael Shull
Dept. Of Astrophysical & Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado
Dr. William Smith (ex officio)
AURA
Dr. Paula Szkody
Astronomy Department, University of Washington
Members
Members have been distinguished between being: a) Private, or Public Institutes, b) Whether the focus is on Education or Research at the Institute, and c) The level of education provided according to a tiered system. The Carnegie Institution, is the exception, as it is less of a school, and more of a research organization.United States
- Boston UniversityBoston UniversityBoston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
(Private Research University) - California Institute of TechnologyCalifornia Institute of TechnologyThe California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
(Private Research University) - Carnegie Institution of Washington (Research Organization)
- Georgia State UniversityGeorgia State UniversityGeorgia State University is a research university in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1913, it serves about 30,000 students and is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities...
(Public Research University) - Harvard UniversityHarvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
(Private Educational University) - Indiana UniversityIndiana University BloomingtonIndiana University Bloomington is a public research university located in Bloomington, Indiana, in the United States. IU Bloomington is the flagship campus of the Indiana University system. Being the flagship campus, IU Bloomington is often referred to simply as IU or Indiana...
(Public Research University) - Iowa State UniversityIowa State UniversityIowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...
(State College) - Johns Hopkins UniversityJohns Hopkins UniversityThe Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
(Private Research University) - Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyThe Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
(Private Research University) - Michigan State UniversityMichigan State UniversityMichigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
(State College) - Montana State UniversityMontana State University - BozemanMontana State University – Bozeman is a public university located in Bozeman, Montana. It is the state's land-grant university and primary campus in the Montana State University System, which is part of the Montana University System...
(State College) - New Mexico State UniversityNew Mexico State UniversityNew Mexico State University at Las Cruces , is a major land-grant university in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States...
(State College) - Ohio State UniversityOhio State UniversityThe Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
(State College) - Pennsylvania State UniversityPennsylvania State UniversityThe Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
(State College) - Princeton UniversityPrinceton UniversityPrinceton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
(Private Research University) - Rutgers UniversityRutgers UniversityRutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
(Public Research University) - State University of New YorkState University of New YorkThe State University of New York, abbreviated SUNY , is a system of public institutions of higher education in New York, United States. It is the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States, with a total enrollment of 465,000 students, plus...
(State College) - University of ArizonaUniversity of ArizonaThe University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
(Public Research University) - University of California, BerkeleyUniversity of California, BerkeleyThe University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
(Public Research University) - University of California, Santa CruzUniversity of California, Santa CruzThe University of California, Santa Cruz, also known as UC Santa Cruz or UCSC, is a public, collegiate university; one of ten campuses in the University of California...
(Public Research University) - University of ChicagoUniversity of ChicagoThe University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
(Private Research University) - University of ColoradoUniversity of Colorado at BoulderThe University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
(Public Research University) - University of FloridaUniversity of FloridaThe University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
(Public Research University) - University of HawaiiUniversity of HawaiiThe University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
(Public Educational University) - University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignThe University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
(Public Research University) - University of Maryland, College ParkUniversity of Maryland, College ParkThe University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
(Public Research University) - University of MichiganUniversity of MichiganThe University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
(Public Research University) - University of MinnesotaUniversity of MinnesotaThe University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
(Public Educational University) - University of North Carolina at Chapel HillUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillThe University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
(Public Research University) - University of Texas at AustinUniversity of Texas at AustinThe University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
(Public Research University) - University of VirginiaUniversity of VirginiaThe University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
(Public Research University) - University of WashingtonUniversity of WashingtonUniversity of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
(Public Research University) - University of Wisconsin–MadisonUniversity of Wisconsin–MadisonThe University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
(Public Research University) - Yale UniversityYale UniversityYale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
(Private Educational University)
International affiliates
- Swinburne University (Public Research University)
- Kiepenheuer Institut fuer Sonnenphysik (Research Institute)
- Leiden UniversityLeiden UniversityLeiden University , located in the city of Leiden, is the oldest university in the Netherlands. The university was founded in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, leader of the Dutch Revolt in the Eighty Years' War. The royal Dutch House of Orange-Nassau and Leiden University still have a close...
(Public Research University) - Universidad de Chile (Public Educational University)
- Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (Private Educational University)
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (Public Educational University)
- Australian National UniversityAustralian National UniversityThe Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
(Public Research University)
Honours
The asteroidAsteroid
Asteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
19912 Aurapenenta
19912 Aurapenenta
19912 Aurapenenta is a main-belt asteroid discovered on September 14, 1955 by the Indiana Asteroid Program at Goethe Link Observatory, Brooklyn, Indiana. The name honors the fiftieth anniversary in 2007 of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy .- External links :*...
was named in honour of the association's fiftieth anniversary, on 1 June 2007.