The U.S. Naval Observatory is one of the oldest scientific
agencies in the country. Established in 1830 as the Depot of Charts
and Instruments, its primary mission was to care for the U.S. Navy's
chronometers, charts and other navigational equipment. Today, USNO
is the preeminent authority in the areas of
Precise Time and Astrometry,
and distributes Earth Orientation
parameters and other Astronomical Data
required for accurate navigation and fundamental astronomy. USNO headquarters
in Washington, DC is the administrative and scientific hub of Observatory
operations and is home to the
James M. Gilliss Library, one of the most complete collections of astronomical
literature in the world. USNO operates a remote
observing station at Flagstaff, AZ and an
Alternate Master Clock Facility at Schriever AFB, CO.
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The U.S. Naval Observatory is currently operating
a state-of-the-art optical interferometer on Anderson Mesa near Flagstaff, Arizona. It
is a joint project of the U. S. Naval Observatory and the Naval
Research Laboratory in Washington, DC, in association with the Lowell
Observatory in Flagstaff. Visit the Navy Prototype
Optical Interferometer Web site for more information.
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