National science infrastructure (NRC Herzberg, Programs in Astronomy and Astrophysics)

Gregory Fahlman

General Manager

Gregory Fahlman

Key business contact

Perry Mangione
Telephone: 613-991-9991
Email: Perry.Mangione@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca

NRC Herzberg is Canada's gateway to the stars. In addition to operating the government's observatories and a national astronomy data centre, we develop advanced scientific instruments for astronomical observatories in collaboration with industrial partners — bringing out-of-this-world technology back down to Earth.

What we offer

NRC Herzberg, Astrophysics and Astronomy programs manages Canada's participation in major astronomical observatories worldwide; thereby ensuring Canadian astronomers can have full access to world-class facilities spanning the entire sky.

We also operate Canada's national astronomical facilities: the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory (Victoria, British Columbia) and the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory (Penticton, British Columbia).

In astronomy, scientific progress is closely linked to technological innovation. Instrumentation experts at NRC Herzberg develop state-of-the-art devices that are critical to the research of world-class observatories in Canada and abroad. We are also a leading force in data management, archiving, and distribution.

Industrial collaborations and technology transfer are high priorities for us. We have helped several industry partners win major contracts and establish a competitive presence on the world market.

Research facilities

NRC Herzberg operates telescopes in Victoria and Penticton and, through international partnerships, provides Canadian researchers with access to the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) and the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) in Hawaii, to the Gemini Observatory, twin 8-m optical telescopes in Hawaii and Chile and to the Atacama Large Milimetre/submilimetre Array (ALMA) in Chile. Each Observatory has its own process to apply for observation time. For more information on a specific observatory, please click the appropriate link below.

NRC Herzberg also offers visitors the following services and tools:
  • Sunrise/sunset calculator - The times of sunset, sunrise, and related data are computed using standard scientific formulae. The times computed are considered accurate to ±2 minutes, in the time period 1900–2100.
  • Canadian Astronomy Data Centre - The largest astronomy data centre in the world (housing 250 Terabytes of astronomy data). It includes the development and support of archives for the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, the James-Clerk-Maxwell Telescope, and the twin 8-m telescopes of the Gemini Observatory.
  • Solar Radio Monitoring - is a service operated jointly by National Research Council Canada and the Canadian Space Agency. Its function is to provide current and archival values of the 10.7cm Solar Flux solar activity index to any user to whom it might be of use.
Licensing opportunities

To discuss licensing opportunities, please contact one of our business experts today.

Contact

Perry Mangione
Telephone: 613-991-9991
Email: Perry.Mangione@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca