| AGN | active galactic nuclei |
| ALMA | Atacama Large Millimeter Array |
| APOLLO | Apache Point Observatory Lunar Laser Ranger Operation |
| ARC | Astrophysical Research Consortium |
| ATST | Advanced Technology Solar Telescope |
| AURA | Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy |
| CCD | charge-coupled device |
| CfA | Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics |
| CTIO | Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory |
| DCT | Discovery Channel Telescope |
| EVLA | Expanded Very Large Array |
| HET | Hobby-Eberly Telescope |
| IOTA | Infrared-Optical Telescope Array |
| KBO | Kuiper Belt object |
| LBT | Large Binocular Telescope |
| LOR | Large Optical Reflector (Telescope) |
| MMT | Multiple Mirror Telescope |
| MONET | MOnitoring NEtwork of Telescopes |
| NASA | National Aeronautics and Space Administration |
| NOAO | National Optical Astronomy Observatory |
| NPOI | Naval Prototype Optical Interferometer |
| NRAO | National Radio Astronomy Observatory |
| NSF | National Science Foundation |
| NSO | National Solar Observatory |
| QSO | quasi-stellar object |
| RET | Research Experiences for Teachers |
| REU | Research Experiences for Undergraduates |
| SAO | Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory |
| SARA | Southeastern Association for Research in Astronomy |
| SMT | SubMillimeter Telescope |
| TMT | Thirty Meter Telescope |
| VATT | Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope |
| VERITAS | Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System |
| VLA | Very Large Array |
| VLBA | Very Long Baseline Array |
| WIYN | Telescope operated by the University of Wisconsin, |
| Indiana University, Yale University, and NOAO |