about aura

AURA is a consortium of universities, and educational and other non-profit institutions, that operates world-class astronomical observatories that we term "centers."  Our members are 37 U.S. Institutions and 7 international affiliates.  We view ourselves as acting on behalf of the science communities that are served by our centers, and as trustees and advocates for the centers' missions.

Our mission statement:

"To promote excellence in astronomical research by providing access to state-of-the-art facilities."