Astronomy Australia Limited

Astronomy Australia Limited (AAL) is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing astronomical research in Australia. Established to liaise with the Australian astronomical community, AAL focuses on coordinating national astronomy initiatives and managing funding for various projects.

History and Establishment

AAL was incorporated in 2007 and has since played a crucial role in coordinating the Australian astronomy community's response to national and international initiatives. It manages funding and supports the construction, instrumentation development, upgrades, maintenance, and operations of astronomy facilities and projects.

Mission and Vision

The mission of AAL is to facilitate access to the best research infrastructure for Australian-based astronomers, encourage the sharing of astronomical technical capabilities, and inspire Australians with astronomical achievements. AAL's vision is to ensure that Australian astronomy is world-leading and publicly valued.

Governance and Membership

AAL is a not-for-profit company, limited by guarantee, with its members being major Australian universities and research organizations that have significant astronomical research capabilities. Current members include the Australian National University, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Curtin University, Macquarie University, Monash University, Swinburne University of Technology, University of Adelaide, University of Melbourne, University of New South Wales, University of Queensland, University of Southern Queensland, University of Sydney, University of Tasmania, University of Western Australia, and Western Sydney University.

Projects and Partnerships

AAL is involved in a number of significant projects and partnerships, both nationally and internationally. These include:

• Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT) Consortium: AAL manages the AAT, a major astronomical facility.
• European Southern Observatory (ESO): AAL represents Australia's interests in ESO.
• Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT): An international collaboration to build one of the next generation of extremely large optical telescopes.
• Australian Astronomical Optics (AAO): Focuses on developing advanced optical instruments for astronomy.
• Optical Data Centre (ODC): A data archive and management service developed by AAO-Macquarie.
• Australia SKA Regional Centre: Part of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project, a global initiative to build the world's largest radio telescope.
• Gravitational Wave Data Centre: Supports research on gravitational wave astronomy.
• ADACS / HPC: Astronomy Data and Computing Services, providing support for astronomers to maximize scientific returns from computing infrastructure.
• Square Kilometre Array (SKA): A global project to build a radio telescope capable of monitoring vast areas of the sky.
• Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP): A radio telescope array developed to survey the sky and test technologies for the SKA.
• Murchison Widefield Array (MWA): A low-frequency radio telescope designed for surveys and transient detection.
• Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA): An international collaboration for a next-generation gamma-ray observatory.
• Vera C. Rubin Observatory (previously LSST): Participates in this international optical survey telescope project.
• eROSITA: Engages in projects involving the eROSITA X-ray telescope.

Funding and Support

AAL is supported by the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS), an Australian Government program aimed at delivering world-class research facilities. This support enables AAL to drive collaboration, leading to economic, environmental, health, and social benefits for Australia.

Leadership

The organization is led by a board of directors, with the Chair being Professor Rachel Webster AO FAA. Professor Webster was recognized as an Officer of the Order of Australia in the 2020 Australia Day Honours List.

Environmental and Ethical Commitments

AAL endeavors to be environmentally sustainable and promotes equity, diversity, and mutual respect within its operations and among stakeholders. The governance structure of AAL is outlined in its constitution, which guides its operations and strategic planning.

[1] https://scienceandtechnologyaustralia.org.au/profile/aal/ [2] https://astronomyaustralia.org.au [3] https://astronomyaustralia.org.au/who-we-are-astronomy-australia-ltd/ [4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomy_Australia_Limited [5] https://riconnected.org.au/providers/astronomy-australia-ltd-aal/