AURA, or the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, is a consortium of institutions primarily focused on astronomical research and operating astronomical observatories. Founded in 1957, AURA is a key organization in the field of astronomy, managing major observatories and telescopes, which include the Gemini Observatory, the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, and the Space Telescope Science Institute, which oversees the Hubble Space Telescope operations. AURA’s role involves managing these facilities under cooperative agreements with the National Science Foundation (NSF) and other agencies, providing infrastructure and support that enables groundbreaking astronomical research. The consortium comprises numerous prestigious universities and community colleges that collaborate to advance the frontiers of astronomical science through innovative research, public engagement, and educational initiatives. AURA also emphasizes the development of advanced technologies to enhance the capabilities of its observatories and to further the understanding of the universe.
Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time will revolutionize Solar System science by revealing a population of previously undiscovered interstellar comets and…
Astronomers have verified that variations in the chemical makeup of binary stars originate from the initial phases of their formation. Recent research using the Gemini…
Astronomers discover the most distant pair of merging quasars, seen only 900 million years after the Big Bang. This period, known as the Cosmic Dawn,…
Data from Gemini North provide possible explanation for supermassive binary black hole’s halted merger. Using archival data from the Gemini North telescope, a team of…
Astronomers studying a powerful gamma-ray burst (GRB) with the Gemini South telescope, operated by NSF’s NOIRLab, may have detected a never-before-seen way to destroy a…
Research team identifies a highly unusual star that may evolve into a magnetar — the most magnetic object in the known Universe. Astronomers found a…
The Toby Jug Nebula, a unique bipolar reflection nebula, was captured by the Gemini South telescope and offers valuable insights into the evolution of red…
Haley’s Coronet and dwarf galaxy companion feel each other’s gravitational forces as they begin to coalesce. Galaxies undergo a process of growth and evolution spanning…
Chemistry of so-called ‘hot Jupiter’ provides new insights into the formation of our Solar System. Astronomers using the Gemini North telescope, one half of the…
Preview of early data from the Inouye Solar Telescope obtained during its Cycle 1 observing window showcases sunspots and quiet-Sun regions The NSF’s Inouye Solar…
Gemini North captures sprawling aftermath of head-on collision between a pair of galaxies. The Gemini North telescope, one half of the International Gemini Observatory, operated…
Gemini South captures first direct evidence of an exoplanet being swallowed by an ancient Sun-like star. For the first time, scientists have directly observed a…
Gemini North Telescope helps confirm nature of cosmic system on the verge of becoming a giant elliptical galaxy. Astronomers using an array of ground- and…
Astronomers using the SMARTS 1.5-meter Telescope uncover a one-in-ten-billion binary star system. Astronomers using the SMARTS 1.5-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile,…
NOIRLab’s Globe at Night educational program reveals how increasing light pollution is robbing us of the night sky. A startling analysis from Globe at Night…
NSF’s NOIRLab releases colossal astronomical data tapestry displaying the majesty of our Milky Way in unprecedented detail. Astronomers have released a gargantuan survey of the…
International Gemini Observatory uncovers surprising evidence of colliding neutron stars after probing aftermath of gamma-ray burst. While investigating the aftermath of a long gamma-ray burst…
Gemini North telescope on Hawai‘i reveals the first dormant, stellar-mass black hole in our cosmic backyard. Using the International Gemini Observatory, astronomers have discovered the…