National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics

Overview

The National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics (Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica, or INAOE) is a research institute based in the town of Tonantzintla in Puebla, Mexico. Sponsored by Mexico's National Council of Science and Technology, the INAOE is known as a pioneer in the study of modern astrophysics in Mexico and Latin America.

The INAOE currently offers only master's and doctorate programs in the fields of astrophysics, optics, electronics, and computing science. Though different programs have their own admission requirements, the INAOE typically requires program applicants to have a degree in areas related to the institute's fields of study. Students interested in enrolling at the institute also have the option to take preparation courses, which the INAOE gives each year. Mastery of the Spanish language is expected of applicants as well.

Students interested in enrolling at the INAOE can also apply for various scholarships from the institute itself and the National Council of Science and Technology of Mexico. Scholarships for foreign students are also available.

Due to the institute's nature, it is heavily involved in advanced research in its fields of study. Researchers at the INAOE's Astrophysics Department, for instance, study areas such as extragalactic astrophysics and millimeter astronomy. Meanwhile, the Computer Science Department is home to laboratories for machine learning, robotics, and biosignals processing.

The National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics traces its beginnings to the Observatorio Astrofísico Nacional de Tonantzintla, an observatory founded by astronomer Luis Enrique Erro in 1942. The town of Tonantzintla was chosen as the ideal location for the observatory because of its low light pollution and strategic location. When astronomer Guillermo Haro replaced Erro as the observatory's director in 1971, he created the INAOE to promote the further study of optics and electronics in Mexico.

Through the years, the institute's observatory has grown to be one of the most important astronomy centers in Latin America. The institute's observatory has made several significant discoveries, including the discovery of Herbig-Haro objects, the Haro-Chavira comet, and a collection of over 15,000 photographic plates of numerous constellations. Aside from these discoveries, among the important achievements of the INAOE is the development of the Large Millimeter Telescope Alfonso Serrano, the world's largest single-aperture telescope for its frequency range.

In addition to the National Astrophysics Observatory of Tonantzintla, the INAOE maintains the Guillermo Haro Astrophysical Observatory in Cananea, Sonora, an observatory dedicated to optics.