National Optical Astronomy Observatories

National Optical Astronomy Observatories, (NOAO), group of 3 U.S. research centers for optical astronomy, established in 1984 and operating under the National Science Foundation, a federal agency. The sun, planets, and other objects in outer space are studied through telescopes. The centers are Kitt Peak National Observatory and the National Solar Observatory, at Tucson, Ariz., and Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, near La Serena, Chile.