HOME CENTERS NEWS ABOUT RESOURCES CAREERS DIVERSITY NSO HomeCentersNSO Composite image of the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, or DKIST, set to be the world’s most powerful solar telescope once it begins operations in 2022. Image credit: NSO/NSF/AURA The National Solar Observatory (NSO) advances knowledge of the Sun as the dominant external influence on Earth and as the local archetype of a typical star. NSO supports facilities that provide forefront observational opportunities for the solar research community, and leads construction of the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) on Maui in Hawaii, to be completed in 2021. DKIST, a collaboration of 22 institutions, will be the largest and most advanced solar telescope in the world, with unprecedented abilities to view details of the Sun. Using adaptive optics technology and a 4-meter telescope, DKIST will explore physical processes that link the Sun to the Earth, and will set the stage to develop enhanced predictive capabilities of explosive solar events that drive geomagnetic storms. DKIST will also further our understanding of other stars by allowing scientists to study fundamental physical processes that occur on their surfaces. NSO also operates the Synoptic Optical Long-term Investigations of the Sun (SOLIS) and the Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG). SOLIS observes the Sun over decades to understand the solar activity cycle, solar irradiance changes, and energy releases in the solar atmosphere. GONG is a six-station network of extremely sensitive solar imagers located around Earth, including a site on Cerro Tololo in Chile. GONG provides continuous imaging of the Sun and its solar magnetic field, and has been identified as a crucial asset for space weather operational forecasting. AURA operates NSO for the National Science Foundation under a cooperative agreement. Visit the NSO website Follow AURA Contact: Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, 1331 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20004 Tel: (202) 483-2101 Fax: (202) 483-2106 info@aura-astronomy.org Search Search... HOME CENTERS ABOUT CAREERS DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION MEDIA PRIVACY POLICY EMPLOYEE PORTAL STAFF DIRECTORY © 2020 Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy

HOME CENTERS NEWS ABOUT RESOURCES CAREERS DIVERSITY Centers HomeCenters AURA’s Centers enable the next decade of astronomical discoveries through world-class facilities and science. NOIRLab The preeminent US national center for ground-based, nighttime optical and infrared astronomy. Read More NSO Advancing knowledge of the Sun, the dominant external influence on Earth and the local archetype of a typical star. Read More STScI A multi-mission operations center for NASA’s flagship observatories and a world-class astronomical research center. Read More Follow AURA Contact: Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, 1331 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20004 Tel: (202) 483-2101 Fax: (202) 483-2106 info@aura-astronomy.org Search Search... HOME CENTERS ABOUT CAREERS DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION MEDIA PRIVACY POLICY EMPLOYEE PORTAL STAFF DIRECTORY © 2020 Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy