NOIRLab

NSF’s NOIRLab (National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory) is a United States federally funded research and development center for ground-based, nighttime optical and infrared astronomy.

History
Before the foundation of the NOIRLab, NSF-sponsored optical-infrared ground-based astronomical facilities were managed by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), but were structured as separate organizations. These included the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), which managed Kitt Peak, Cerro Tololo, and the Community Science and Data Center. AURA also managed Gemini Observatory as well as the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, then under construction. On October 1, 2019, these three observatories merged operations to form NOIRLab.

Organization
The Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. (AURA) operates the NOIRLab and its facilities under a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Programs
NOIRLab operates the following programs:
 * Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory
 * Community Science & Data Center
 * Gemini Observatory
 * Kitt Peak National Observatory
 * Vera C. Rubin Observatory