The National Institute for Astrophysics (, or INAF) is an Italian

research institute A research institute, research centre, or research organization is an establishment founded for doing research. Research institutes may specialize in basic research or may be oriented to applied research. Although the term often implies natural ...

astronomy Astronomy is a natural science that studies celestial objects and the phenomena that occur in the cosmos. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and their overall evolution. Objects of interest includ ...

and

astrophysics Astrophysics is a science that employs the methods and principles of physics and chemistry in the study of astronomical objects and phenomena. As one of the founders of the discipline, James Keeler, said, astrophysics "seeks to ascertain the ...

, founded in 1999. INAF funds and operates twenty separate research facilities, which in turn employ scientists, engineers and technical staff. The research they perform covers most areas of astronomy, ranging from

planetary science Planetary science (or more rarely, planetology) is the scientific study of planets (including Earth), celestial bodies (such as moons, asteroids, comets) and planetary systems (in particular those of the Solar System) and the processes of ...

cosmology Cosmology () is a branch of physics and metaphysics dealing with the nature of the universe, the cosmos. The term ''cosmology'' was first used in English in 1656 in Thomas Blount's ''Glossographia'', with the meaning of "a speaking of the wo ...

Research facilities

INAF coordinates the activities of twenty research units, nineteen in Italy and one in

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

: * Bologna Observatory * Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica cosmica di Bologna *

Istituto di Radioastronomia di Bologna The Istituto di Radioastronomia di Bologna (Institute for Radio Astronomy of Bologna) is one of research facilities of the Italian Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (National Institute for Astrophysics). Staff conduct research in astronomy, physics ...

* Cagliari Observatory * Catania Observatory *

Arcetri Observatory The Arcetri Observatory () is an astrophysical observatory located in the hilly area of Arcetri on the outskirts of Florence, Italy. It is located close to Villa Il Gioiello, the residence of Galileo Galilei from 1631 to 1642. Observatory sta ...

(Florence) * Brera Observatory (Milan) * Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica cosmica di Milano * Capodimonte Observatory (Naples) * Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova * Palermo Observatory * Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica cosmica di Palermo * Rome Observatory * Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica cosmica di Roma * Istituto di Fisica dello Spazio Interplanetario di Roma *

Collurania-Teramo Observatory The Collurania Observatory, also Teramo Observatory, (, is an astronomy, astronomical observatory located in Teramo, in Abruzzo region of central Italy. It was founded by Vincenzo Cerulli in 1890, who was later honoured by having it bear his na ...

Turin Observatory The Observatory of Turin (, also known as Pino Torinese; obs. code: 022) is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by Italy's National Institute for Astrophysics (, INAF). It is located on the top of a hill in the town of Pino Torinese ...

* Istituto di Fisica dello Spazio Interplanetario di Torino *

Trieste Observatory Astronomical Observatory of Trieste ( or OAT) is an astronomical center of studies located in the city of Trieste in northern Italy. Origins The observatory traces its origins from the Nautical School founded in Trieste by the Empress Maria Th ...

Telescopio Nazionale Galileo The Galileo National Telescope, (; TNG; code: Z19) is a 3.58-meter Italian telescope, located at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory on the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands, Spain. The TNG is operated by the "Fundación Galileo Galil ...

(

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, Autonomous Community of Spain. They are located in the northwest of Africa, with the closest point to the cont ...

, Spain) *

Sardinia Radio Telescope The Sardinia Radio Telescope (SRT) is 64-metre fully steerable radio telescope near San Basilio, Province of Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy. Completed in 2011, it is a collaboration between the Istituto di Radioastronomia di Bologna, the Cagliari O ...

( San Basilio,

Sardinia Sardinia ( ; ; ) is the Mediterranean islands#By area, second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, and one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. It is located west of the Italian Peninsula, north of Tunisia an ...

) *

Noto Radio Observatory The Noto VLBI Station is a radio observatory located on Sicily, southern Italy, outside the city of Noto. The facility is operated by the Istituto di Radioastronomia di Bologna. The antenna is a 32-metre diameter paraboloid fitted with an active ...

(

Noto Noto (; ) is a city and in the Province of Syracuse, Sicily, Italy. It is southwest of the city of Syracuse at the foot of the Iblean Mountains. It lends its name to the surrounding area Val di Noto. In 2002 Noto and its church were decl ...

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

)

International partnerships

Agreement signed for E-ELT MAORY adaptive optics system

INAF is involved in scientific collaborations with several international institutions, including: *the

European Southern Observatory The European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere, commonly referred to as the European Southern Observatory (ESO), is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental research organisation made up of 16 m ...

(Italy has been an ESO member since 1982) *the astronomical observatories located in Canary Islands (

Teide Observatory Teide Observatory (), IAU code 954, is an astronomical observatory on Mount Teide at , located on Tenerife, Spain. It has been operated by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias since its inauguration in 1964. It became one of the first major ...

and

Roque de los Muchachos Observatory Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (, ORM) is an astronomical observatory located in the municipality of Garafía on the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands, Spain. The observatory site is operated by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Can ...

) *the

Large Binocular Telescope The Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) is an optical telescope for astronomy located on Mount Graham, in the Pinaleno Mountains of southeastern Arizona, United States. It is a part of the Mount Graham International Observatory. When using both ...

, in partnership with the United States and Germany *the

Very Long Baseline Interferometry Very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) is a type of astronomical interferometry used in radio astronomy. In VLBI a signal from an astronomical radio source, such as a quasar, is collected at multiple radio telescopes on Earth or in space. T ...

consortium *the

European Space Agency The European Space Agency (ESA) is a 23-member International organization, international organization devoted to space exploration. With its headquarters in Paris and a staff of around 2,547 people globally as of 2023, ESA was founded in 1975 ...

(ESA) *the American

National Aeronautic and Space Administration The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the United States's civil space program, aeronautics research and space research. Established in 1958, it succ ...

(NASA)

Notable figures

* Giampaolo Vettolani, scientific director * Stefano Cristiani, board member * Nicolò D'Amico, president in 2015-2020

Projects

Projects include: *

Mars Multispectral Imager for Subsurface Studies Mars Multispectral Imager for Subsurface Studies (Ma_MISS) is a miniaturized imaging spectrometer designed to provide imaging and spectra by reflectance in the near-infrared (NIR) wavelength region and determine the mineral composition and stratigr ...

, instrument for the

ExoMars ExoMars (Exobiology on Mars) is an astrobiology programme of the European Space Agency (ESA). The goals of ExoMars are to search for signs of past life on Mars, investigate how the Martian water and geochemical environment varies, investigate ...

rover ''

Rosalind Franklin Rosalind Elsie Franklin (25 July 192016 April 1958) was a British chemist and X-ray crystallographer. Her work was central to the understanding of the molecular structures of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), RNA (ribonucleic acid), viruses, coal ...

'' * Rapid Eye Mount telescope (REM) *Juno's JIRAM

References

External links

Official website of INAFPublic and press website of INAFWebsite of the Italian Telescopio Nazione GalileoWebsite of the Large Binocular Telescope
(

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...