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Research facility · Boulder · United States

National Solar Observatory

In research, National Solar Observatory stands highest in Physical Sciences (#7,099 of 12,888 worldwide) and Physics and Astronomy (#1,542 of 1,646 worldwide), 2022–2025. Relative to its size it is most specialised in Astronomy and Astrophysics and Physics and Astronomy — Astronomy and Astrophysics is 109.5× its share of world research.

nso.eduROR OpenAlex
World rank, 2022–2025
#13,289
of 28,054 · #10,883 all time
Rank in United States
#1,846
of 4,192
Research works
1.3k
▼ 30% vs 2013–17
Citations
29k
21.6 per fractional work
Top-10% rate
17.4%
record average 16.5%
Open access
38%
world 28%

What is National Solar Observatory known for in research?

The fields where it stands highest, 2022–2025, ranked among every institution above the floor in each field.

FieldWorld rankWhere that sitsTop-10% rateWorksAll time
Physical SciencesDomain #7,099 of 12,888 18.5%92 #6840
Physics and AstronomyField #1,542 of 1,646 19.5%67 #2830

Each strip is that field’s whole ranked pool, with the notch where National Solar Observatory sits in it, in the colour of the band that rank falls in. The track under the rate is the rate itself: it carries no world mark, because the world rate differs by field (from about 6% to 21% in this record).

What does National Solar Observatory specialise in?

Where its research is concentrated relative to its size: Astronomy and Astrophysics takes 109.5× the share of its output that it takes of world research.

  1. Astronomy and AstrophysicsSubfield · 59.0 works110×
  2. Physics and AstronomyField · 67.0 works29×
← less than its size predicts1×more →

Location quotient, a volume reading rather than an impact one. It surfaces small, lopsided specialities.

Field profile

Location quotient across every field it publishes in: outside the ring is more than an institution of this size would be expected to publish, inside it is less.

Agricultural and Biological Sciences: 0.07× its world share, 0 worksAgricultural and Bio…Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 1.30× its world share, 7 worksBiochemistry, Geneti…Immunology and Microbiology: 0.01× its world share, 0 worksImmunology and Micro…Chemistry: 0.28× its world share, 0 worksChemistryComputer Science: 0.77× its world share, 6 worksComputer ScienceEarth and Planetary Sciences: 3.52× its world share, 6 worksEarth and Planetary …Energy: 1.14× its world share, 1 worksEnergyEngineering: 0.70× its world share, 11 worksEngineeringEnvironmental Science: 0.10× its world share, 0 worksEnvironmental ScienceMaterials Science: 0.02× its world share, 0 worksMaterials ScienceMathematics: 0.07× its world share, 0 worksMathematicsPhysics and Astronomy: 29.06× its world share, 67 worksPhysics and AstronomyHealth Professions: 0.18× its world share, 0 worksHealth ProfessionsMedicine: 0.02× its world share, 0 worksMedicineArts and Humanities: 0.12× its world share, 0 worksArts and HumanitiesBusiness, Management and Accounting: 0.21× its world share, 1 worksBusiness, Management…Decision Sciences: 1.34× its world share, 1 worksDecision SciencesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance: 0.14× its world share, 0 worksEconomics, Econometr…Social Sciences: 0.05× its world share, 1 worksSocial Sciences1×world share
more than its size predictsabout as predictedless

Rings at 0.5×, 1× and 2×. Widest outward: Physics and Astronomy, 29.1×. Every wedge is a field page.

Who are the top researchers at National Solar Observatory?

Ranked on the composite score, Sanjay Gosain, J. W. Leibacher and Robert F. Howard lead among researchers whose main affiliation is National Solar Observatory.

  1. 1 Sanjay Gosain United States · #127,317 worldwide 222 citations · 38 works
  2. 2 J. W. Leibacher United States · #195,783 worldwide 147 citations · 44 works
  3. 3 Robert F. Howard United States · #202,101 worldwide 125 citations · 26 works
  4. 4 K. Reardon United States · #203,846 worldwide 166 citations · 59 works
  5. 5 L. J. November United States · #205,995 worldwide 145 citations · 24 works
  6. 6 R. Howe United States · #218,228 worldwide 239 citations · 58 works
  7. 7 R. Komm United States · #238,888 worldwide 224 citations · 68 works
  8. 8 J. W. Harvey United States · #241,033 worldwide 145 citations · 41 works
  9. 9 Sara Martin United States · #255,782 worldwide 120 citations · 18 works
  10. 10 W. Livingston United States · #301,440 worldwide 101 citations · 32 works
All ranked researchers at National Solar Observatory

Which keywords describe research at National Solar Observatory?

By fractional works in 2022–2025, weighted toward what it does more of than the world: Solar Wind, Coronal Mass Ejections, Solar Dynamics Observatory, Exoplanets, Stellar Astrophysics, Solar System Abundances, Terrestrial Planets and Spectroscopy.

▲ more of its work than of the world’s◆ about the world’s share▼ less than the world’s

Size is fractional works in 2022–2025 in the topics tagged with each word; colour is the word's share of this institution's work against its share of the world's. The 40 words are chosen for being large and distinctive. Each links to the topic it comes from most.

All 40 words, with their numbers
  1. Solar Wind30▲ 314×2 topics
  2. Coronal Mass Ejections25▲ 643×1 topic
  3. Solar Dynamics Observatory25▲ 643×1 topic
  4. Exoplanets11▲ 259×1 topic
  5. Stellar Astrophysics11▲ 259×1 topic
  6. Solar System Abundances8▲ 165×1 topic
  7. Terrestrial Planets8▲ 165×1 topic
  8. Spectroscopy6▲ 34×5 topics
  9. Geomagnetic Field6▲ 258×1 topic
  10. Magnetosome Formation6▲ 258×1 topic
  11. Electron Acceleration6▲ 82×2 topics
  12. Ionosphere6▲ 97×1 topic
  13. Magnetosphere6▲ 97×1 topic
  14. High-Resolution Imaging5▲ 104×1 topic
  15. Radio Astronomy5▲ 224×2 topics
  16. Transits of Venus5▲ 522×1 topic
  17. Machine Learning5▲ 1.34×5 topics
  18. Climate Change4▲ 1.58×11 topics
  19. Renewable Energy4▲ 3.0×3 topics
  20. Adaptive Optics4▲ 307×1 topic
  21. Wavefront Sensing4▲ 307×1 topic
  22. Solar Energy4▲ 12×2 topics
  23. Artificial Neural Networks4▲ 7.4×1 topic
  24. Forecasting4▲ 18×2 topics
  25. Solar Radiation4▲ 79×1 topic
  26. Sea Level Rise3▲ 22×3 topics
  27. GRACE3▲ 50×1 topic
  28. groundwater depletion3▲ 50×1 topic
  29. Astronomical Instrumentation2▲ 75×1 topic
  30. Spectrograph2▲ 75×1 topic
  31. Accretion Disks1▲ 30×2 topics
  32. Magnetic Fields1▲ 22×2 topics
  33. Orbit Determination1▲ 32×2 topics
  34. Star Formation1▲ 25×2 topics
  35. Supernovae1▲ 15×2 topics
  36. GNSS1▲ 58×1 topic
  37. Global Navigation Satellite Systems1▲ 49×1 topic
  38. Ozone Depletion1▲ 39×1 topic
  39. Stratospheric Water Vapor1▲ 39×1 topic
  40. Structural Health Monitoring1▲ 15×2 topics

Which research topics does National Solar Observatory publish most on?

By volume in 2022–2025: Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics, Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies, Astro and Planetary Science and Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism Studies.

Solar and Space Plasma D…25Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics: 25 fractional worksStellar, planetary, and …11Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies: 11 fractional worksAstro and Planetary Scie…8Astro and Planetary Science: 8 fractional worksGeomagnetism and Paleomagnetism Studies: 6 fractional worksIonosphere and magnetosphere dynamics: 6 fractional worksHistory and Developments…5History and Developments in Astronomy: 5 fractional worksAdaptive optics and wavefront sensing: 4 fractional worksSolar Radiation and Photovoltaics: 4 fractional worksGeophysics and Gravity Measurements: 3 fractional worksAstronomy and Astrophysical Research: 2 fractional works
Astronomy and AstrophysicsMolecular BiologyAtomic and Molecular Physics, and OpticsArtificial Intelligence2 others

Area is fractional works; colour is the subfield each topic belongs to.

  1. 1 Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics Astronomy and Astrophysics 25 works
  2. 2 Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies Astronomy and Astrophysics 11 works
  3. 3 Astro and Planetary Science Astronomy and Astrophysics 8 works
  4. 4 Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism Studies Molecular Biology 6 works
  5. 5 Ionosphere and magnetosphere dynamics Astronomy and Astrophysics 6 works
  6. 6 History and Developments in Astronomy Astronomy and Astrophysics 5 works
  7. 7 Adaptive optics and wavefront sensing Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics 4 works
  8. 8 Solar Radiation and Photovoltaics Artificial Intelligence 4 works
  9. 9 Geophysics and Gravity Measurements Oceanography 3 works
  10. 10 Astronomy and Astrophysical Research Instrumentation 2 works

How open and international is its research?

Against the world’s own shares — the tick on each track. Both are shares of its output, so they sit on one scale and can be read against each other as well as against the world.

openly available37.7%not open62.3%

World: 28% of research is openly available.

with international co-authors26.2%domestic only73.8%

World: 19% is written across borders.

How has National Solar Observatory's research output changed?

Output in 2018–2022 was 30% lower than in 2013–2017.

1990200020102020
grewheldshrank

The same series as a ribbon — one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.

Other research institutions in Boulder

All research institutions in Boulder

Research measures only: rankings here say nothing about teaching, admissions or student experience. Comparable institutions and collaboration partners are in the interactive view on the map.