The Gemini Observatory comprises two 8.1-metre (26.6 ft) telescopes, Gemini North and Gemini South, situated in Hawaii and Chile, respectively. These twin telescopes offer extensive coverage of the northern and southern skies and rank among the most advanced optical/infrared telescopes available to astronomers. (See List of largest optical reflecting telescopes).
The observatory is owned and operated by the National Science Foundation (NSF) of the United States, the National Research Council of Canada, CONICYT of Chile, MCTI of Brazil, MCTIP of Argentina, and Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) of Republic of Korea. The NSF is the primary funding contributor, providing about 70% of the required resources. The Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) manages the operations and maintenance of the observatory through a cooperative agreement with the NSF, acting as the Executive Agency on behalf of the international partners. NSF's NOIRLab is the US national center for ground-based, nighttime optical astronomy and operates Gemini as one of its programs.
