The Gemini Observatory is an international astronomical observatory consisting of two identical 8.1-meter telescopes, Gemini North and Gemini South, which are located at Mauna Kea, Hawaii, and Cerro Pachón in the Chilean Andes respectively. The twin telescopes allow astronomers to obtain sharper images than what can be achieved with a single telescope by combining the light from both telescopes through a technique called interferometry.
Gemini is one of the world’s largest optical/infrared astronomy facilities. It consists of two sites: one on Mauna Kea in Hawaii (Gemini North) and another on Cerro Pachón in Chile (Gemini South). Both sites have been carefully chosen to minimize atmospheric turbulence, which is critical for obtaining sharp images from large ground-based telescopes.
The primary science goals of Gemini are to study the formation and evolution of galaxies, stars, and planetary systems; study the physics of the interstellar medium; carry out time-domain astrophysics; and enable high-resolution observing across the electromagnetic spectrum from X-rays to radio waves.
In addition to its scientific mission, Gemini also plays an important role in technology development and training for the next generation of astronomers. For example, Gemini was instrumental in developing adaptive optics (AO) systems that correct for atmospheric turbulence in real time. This technology is now used on many other large ground-based telescopes around the world as well as on NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope.
Gemini Observatory is operated by a consortium consisting of six countries: United States (NSF), Canada (NRC), Brazil (MCTIC), Chile (CONICYT), Argentina (CONICET) ,and Australia(ATNF). Each country contributes financially to cover operating costs as well as provides scientists who serve on our science staff or participate in our visitor programs .