NRC Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics (NRC-HIA)

(Victoria and Penticton, British Columbia)

Canada's Gateway to the Stars

NRC-HIA operates all astronomical observatories established by the Government of Canada and ensures the Canadian scientific community can access these facilities. The Institute operates the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory in Victoria, B.C. and the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory in Penticton, B.C.

Through NRC-HIA, Canada is a partner in the seven-nation Gemini Observatory, with its twin 8-m optical telescopes, one in Hawaii and the other in Chile. NRC-HIA is also a partner in the 3.6-m Canada- France-Hawaii optical Telescope and the 15-m James Clerk Maxwell Telescope for short wavelength radio emission, both based in Hawaii. These collaborations leverage Canada's investment in astrophysics, providing researchers with new opportunities and safeguarding Canada's standing as a major player in international astronomy. NRC-HIA is leading efforts to secure Canada's participation in the next generation of ground- and space-based observatories.

Rendering of a planned, next-generation optical observatory called TMT (Thirty-Metre Telescope). Credit: Todd Mason, Mason Productions

NRC-HIA also designs and builds advanced scientific instrumentation for astronomical observatories and operates other elements of the national astronomy infrastructure. This includes a major data archiving and distribution service for clients in Canada and around the world, the Canadian Astronomy Data Centre in Victoria, B.C. The Centre receives data from domestic and international telescopes, including, with support from the Canadian Space Agency, the Hubble Space Telescope. Other services include daily measurements of the level of solar activity that are used in countries worldwide.

NRC-HIA has earned an international reputation for its astrophysics research, as well as for its development of advanced scientific instrumentation, innovative technologies, and data management, mining, and manipulation technologies, including:

• Optical design and coating procedures

• Optical and infrared detector technology

• Multi-object spectroscopy

• Adaptive optics

• Data processing, archiving, distribution and data mining

• Antenna design

• Signal processing

• Sub-millimetre instrumentation

• Phase monitoring for radio interferometry

NRC-HIA works closely with Canada's academic community and a growing number of industrial partners to transfer the technologies and knowledge it develops in the demanding realm of astronomy to other unrelated fields. NRC-HIA also helps train students in astronomy and engineering, and supports a major program of public outreach for astronomy, including NRC's first full-fledged public interpretative centre: the Centre of the Universe in Victoria, B.C.