National Optical Astronomy Observatory

The National Optical Astronomy Observatory ( NOAO ) is the U.S. public institution for the operation of ground-based observatories in the optical and near-infrared for nighttime astronomy. NOAO is operated with funding from the National Science Foundation by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy ( AURA).

NOAO operates telescopes at Kitt Peak National Observatory and Cerro Tololo is involved in the Inter- American Observatory and the Gemini Observatory.

NOAO is the main access for many U.S. astronomers and large telescopes and is open to all professional astronomers for observing proposals. There are also traditional in the United States a dominant role of private observatories with limited access, such as the Keck Observatory.