LibGuides: Physics and Astronomy: Government Information

Physics and Astronomy Librarian

Chris Bulock

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Subjects: Physics and Astronomy

Federal

Databases

NTRL - National Technical Reports Library
The National Technical Information Service acquires, indexes, abstracts, and archives the largest collection of U.S. government-sponsored technical reports in existence. The NTRL offers access to these authenticated government technical reports to libraries and technical information users.

Science.gov This link opens in a new window
Gateway to U.S. federal science. Searches over 60 databases and over 2200 selected websites from 15 federal agencies, offering 200 million pages of authoritative U.S. government science information including research and development results..

TRAIL - Technical Report Archive and Image Library
The Technical Report Archive & Image Library (TRAIL) identifies, acquires, catalogs, digitizes and provides unrestricted access to U.S. government agency technical reports.

USGS Publications Warehouse (U.S. Geological Survey) This link opens in a new window
Citations for over 100,000 USGS publications, including numbered series published as early as 1880. Content ranges from full text to bibliographic citation.

Observatories and Telescopes

National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO)
Founded in 1956, the NRAO provides state-of-the-art radio telescope facilities for use by the international scientific community. NRAO telescopes are open to all astronomers regardless of institutional or national affiliation. Observing time on NRAO telescopes is available on a competitive basis to qualified scientists after evaluation of research proposals on the basis of scientific merit, the capability of the instruments to do the work, and the availability of the telescope during the requested time. NRAO also provides both formal and informal programs in education and public outreach for teachers, students, the general public, and the media.
National Solar Observatory (NSO)
The mission of the National Solar Observatory is to advance knowledge of the Sun, both as an astronomical object and as the dominant external influence on Earth, by providing forefront observational opportunities to the research community. The mission includes the operation of cutting edge facilities, the continued development of advanced instrumentation both in-house and through partnerships, conducting solar research, and educational and public outreach.

Publications

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2021. Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/26141.

We live in a time of extraordinary discovery and progress in astronomy and astrophysics. The next decade will transform our understanding of the universe and humanity's place in it. Every decade the U.S. agencies that provide primary federal funding for astronomy and astrophysics request a survey to assess the status of, and opportunities for the Nation's efforts to forward our understanding of the cosmos. Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s identifies the most compelling science goals and presents an ambitious program of ground- and space-based activities for future investment in the next decade and beyond. The decadal survey identifies three important science themes for the next decade aimed at investigating Earth-like extrasolar planets, the most energetic processes in the universe, and the evolution of galaxies. The Astro2020 report also recommends critical near-term actions to support the foundations of the profession as well as the technologies and tools needed to carry out the science.

State

Mount Wilson Observatory
The mission of the Mount Wilson Institute is to manage and promote the Mount Wilson Observatory for scientific research, historic preservation, education, public engagement, and the arts.
University of California Observatories
The UC Observatories (UCO) is a multi-campus astronomical research unit, headquartered on the UC Santa Cruz campus. One of the primary goals is to promote science literacy through public service to help strengthen public interest in and knowledge of science and the scientific method in communities throughout California.

International

Observatories and Telescopes

Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA)
The Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) is currently the largest radio telescope in the world. This achievement is the result of an international association between Europe (ESO), North America (NRAO) and East Asia (NAOJ), in collaboration with the Republic of Chile, to build the observatory of the “Dark Universe." The purpose of ALMA is to study star formation, molecular clouds and the early Universe, closing in on its main objective: discovering our cosmic origins.
European Southern Observatory (ESO)
ESO, the European Southern Observatory, is the foremost intergovernmental astronomy organization in Europe and the world's most productive astronomical observatory. ESO provides state-of-the-art research facilities to astronomers and is supported by Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, along with the host state of Chile. ESO's main mission is to provide state-of-the-art research facilities to astronomers and astrophysicists.
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ)
NAOJ is a research institute for astronomy in Japan that conducts various research activities centered around the open use of astronomical observation instruments. In particular, NAOJ has strongly promoted the development and operation of large-scale open-use facilities including ALMA and the Subaru Telescope and research utilizing these facilities. NAOJ actively conducts theoretical astronomy using supercomputers and contributes to the development of astronomy using both observational and theoretical approaches.