Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory

Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. The Smithsonian Institution established the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in 1890, with Samuel Pierpont Langley as its first director, to study the Sun and its effects on the Earth's atmosphere, in collaboration with the United States Naval Observatory and the Harvard College Observatory. The observatory's early work focused on solar astronomy, with Langley developing the bolometer to measure the Sun's energy output, and Charles Greeley Abbot continuing this research, working with the National Bureau of Standards and the United States Department of Commerce. The Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History and the United States National Herbarium also collaborated with the observatory on various projects, including the study of astronomical phenomena and the development of astronomical instruments, with support from the National Science Foundation and the United States Air Force.

● History

The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory was founded in 1890, with Samuel Pierpont Langley as its first director, and was initially located in Washington, D.C., near the United States Capitol and the National Mall, with Langley working closely with the United States Congress and the National Academy of Sciences. In the early years, the observatory focused on solar astronomy, with Langley developing the bolometer to measure the Sun's energy output, and Charles Greeley Abbot continuing this research, collaborating with the National Bureau of Standards and the United States Department of Commerce, as well as the Carnegie Institution for Science and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. The observatory also worked with the Harvard College Observatory, led by Harlow Shapley and Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, to study variable stars and galaxies, with support from the National Geographic Society and the American Philosophical Society. In 1955, the observatory moved to its current location in Cambridge, Massachusetts, near the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, and began to focus on space exploration, working with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the United States Department of Defense, as well as the European Space Agency and the Soviet Academy of Sciences.

● Research

The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory conducts research in a wide range of areas, including astrophysics, cosmology, and exoplanetary science, with collaborations with the University of California, Berkeley, the California Institute of Technology, and the University of Chicago, as well as the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics and the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. The observatory's researchers use a variety of telescopes and spacecraft, including the Chandra X-ray Observatory, the Hubble Space Telescope, and the Spitzer Space Telescope, to study black holes, neutron stars, and dark matter, with support from the National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Energy, as well as the European Research Council and the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics. The observatory is also involved in the development of new astronomical instruments and technologies, such as the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array and the Square Kilometre Array, working with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory and the European Southern Observatory, as well as the Australian National University and the University of Oxford.

● Facilities

The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory has a number of facilities, including the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory in Arizona, the Multiple Mirror Telescope in Arizona, and the Submillimeter Array in Hawaii, which are used for a variety of research projects, including the study of galaxies, stars, and planets, with collaborations with the University of Arizona, the University of Hawaii, and the California Institute of Technology, as well as the National Optical Astronomy Observatory and the United States Naval Observatory. The observatory also has a number of laboratories and workshops where researchers can develop and test new instruments and technologies, including the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, which is a collaboration with Harvard University and the Smithsonian Institution, and the Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, which is a collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Kavli Foundation.

● Notable Staff

The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory has a number of notable staff members, including Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1983 for his work on black holes, and Riccardo Giacconi, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2002 for his work on X-ray astronomy, and who worked with the European Space Agency and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The observatory has also been home to a number of other notable astronomers, including Harlow Shapley, Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, and Fred Hoyle, who worked on a variety of projects, including the study of galaxies, stars, and cosmology, with collaborations with the Royal Astronomical Society, the American Astronomical Society, and the International Astronomical Union, as well as the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford.

● Current Projects

The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory is currently involved in a number of research projects, including the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), which are being used to study exoplanets and black holes, with collaborations with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the University of California, Berkeley, as well as the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency. The observatory is also involved in the development of new astronomical instruments and technologies, such as the Giant Magellan Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope, working with the Carnegie Institution for Science, the University of Arizona, and the European Southern Observatory, as well as the National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Energy.

● Education and Outreach

The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory offers a number of educational and outreach programs, including internships and fellowships for students and young researchers, with collaborations with the Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the University of California, Berkeley, as well as the National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Education. The observatory also offers public lectures and events, such as the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics's public lecture series, and works with local schools and community groups to promote astronomy and science education, with support from the National Geographic Society and the American Astronomical Society, as well as the European Astronomical Society and the International Astronomical Union. The observatory also participates in national and international outreach efforts, such as the Astronomy Day and the International Year of Astronomy, working with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the European Space Agency, as well as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Canadian Space Agency. Category:Smithsonian Institution