National Solar Observatory

The National Solar Observatory is a public research institute headquartered in Boulder, Colorado with a satellite facility in Maui, Hawaiʻi. The mission of NSO is to advance our understanding of the Sun, both as a star and as a major influence for life on Earth. Funded by the National Science Foundation, NSO operates telescopes for use by the US and international solar physics community. These include the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope and the NSO Integrated Synoptic Program network. Advanced technological techniques developed by dedicated engineering teams are continuously under development in order to provide the highest quality data to the US solar physics community. Here at NSO, scientists are conducting cutting edge research on understanding the fundamental processes that occur on the Sun, specifically how its active magnetic field influences solar activity, and using our understanding of solar behaviors to better inform our knowledge of other stars.