Cooperative Agreement for the Management, Operation and the Maintenance of the National Optical Astronomy Observatories (NOAO)

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This award is the initial award under the Cooperative Agreement AST 8947990 with the Associated Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) for the management, operation, and maintenance of the National Optical Astronomy Observatories (NOAO). The research programs in FY 1990 will cover astronomical subjects from the sun and the solar system through stars, galaxies, and quasars to the origin and structure of the universe. The instrumentation programs will include work on adaptive optics systems, infrared arrays, and the design and development of multi- object spectrographs. Major initiative programs are the development of a world wide network to study solar oscillations and techniques for polishing and testing large light weight mirrors. The NOAO is comprised of the Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), and the National Solar Observatory (NSO). NSO includes the solar facilities at Kitt Peak and the Sacramento Peak Observatory (SPO). In addition there are central administrative, technical and computing support groups. NOAO's mission is a three-fold one: (1) to provide state of the art optical and infrared telescopes and associated instrumentation and the support necessary for the conduct of research programs in astronomy, solar physics and related fields (2) to perform forefront research programs by in house staff and (3) to develop new and innovative astronomical instrumentations. The facilities of NOAO are available to all qualified scientists on a competitive basis. Over 700 scientists make more than 1200 visits annually to utilize the observing and data analysis facilities of the NOAO.