Science Explorer Interactive view Map
Research facility · Flagstaff · United States

United States Naval Observatory

In research, United States Naval Observatory stands highest in Physical Sciences (#2,243 of 21,541 worldwide), Astronomy and Astrophysics (#340 of 1,146 worldwide) and Engineering (#3,581 of 11,412 worldwide), over all time. Relative to its size it is most specialised in Astronomy and Astrophysics and Physics and Astronomy — Astronomy and Astrophysics is 101.1× its share of world research.

cnmoc.usff.navy.mil/usnoROR OpenAlex
World rank, all time
#3,533
of 42,892
Rank in United States
#880
of 8,685
Research works
1.3k
▼ 18% vs 2013–17
Citations
31k
24.0 per fractional work
Top-10% rate
25.2%
record average 16.5%
Open access
47%
world 28%

What is United States Naval Observatory known for in research?

The fields where it stands highest, over all time, ranked among every institution above the floor in each field.

FieldWorld rankWhere that sitsTop-10% rateWorks
Physical SciencesDomain #2,243 of 21,541 17.3%1,189
Astronomy and AstrophysicsSubfield #340 of 1,146 19.1%527
EngineeringField #3,581 of 11,412 16.7%263
Physics and AstronomyField #1,188 of 3,663 18.5%761
Atomic and Molecular Physics, and OpticsSubfield #1,440 of 1,908 10.4%132

Each strip is that field’s whole ranked pool, with the notch where United States Naval 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 United States Naval Observatory specialise in?

Where its research is concentrated relative to its size: Astronomy and Astrophysics takes 101.1× the share of its output that it takes of world research.

  1. Astronomy and AstrophysicsSubfield · 28.0 works101×
  2. Physics and AstronomyField · 41.2 works35×
← 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: 0.08× its world share, 0 worksAgricultural and Bio…Immunology and Microbiology: 0.09× its world share, 0 worksImmunology and Micro…Chemistry: 0.02× its world share, 0 worksChemistryComputer Science: 0.30× its world share, 1 worksComputer ScienceEarth and Planetary Sciences: 2.88× its world share, 2 worksEarth and Planetary …Engineering: 0.56× its world share, 4 worksEngineeringEnvironmental Science: 0.44× its world share, 1 worksEnvironmental ScienceMathematics: 2.04× its world share, 1 worksMathematicsPhysics and Astronomy: 34.79× its world share, 41 worksPhysics and AstronomyMedicine: 0.01× its world share, 0 worksMedicineArts and Humanities: 0.28× its world share, 0 worksArts and HumanitiesDecision Sciences: 0.43× its world share, 0 worksDecision SciencesSocial Sciences: 0.06× its world share, 0 worksSocial Sciences1×world share
more than its size predictsabout as predictedless

Rings at 0.5×, 1× and 2×. Widest outward: Physics and Astronomy, 34.8×. Every wedge is a field page.

Who are the top researchers at United States Naval Observatory?

Ranked on the composite score, William I. Hartkopf, D. G. Monet and Robert B. Hindsley lead among researchers whose main affiliation is United States Naval Observatory.

  1. 1 William I. Hartkopf United States · #29,966 worldwide 540 citations · 65 works
  2. 2 D. G. Monet United States · #37,008 worldwide 442 citations · 54 works
  3. 3 Robert B. Hindsley United States · #40,478 worldwide 731 citations · 33 works
  4. 4 Jeffrey A. Munn United States · #44,083 worldwide 1.2k citations · 31 works
  5. 5 G. S. Hennessy United States · #55,789 worldwide 912 citations · 30 works
  6. 6 Brian D. Mason United States · #57,064 worldwide 405 citations · 60 works
  7. 7 Jeffrey R. Pier United States · #70,090 worldwide 1.3k citations · 25 works
  8. 8 Hugh C. Harris United States · #76,095 worldwide 515 citations · 63 works
  9. 9 C. A. Hummel United States · #102,115 worldwide 343 citations · 53 works
  10. 10 P. K. Seidelmann United States · #131,346 worldwide 225 citations · 83 works
All ranked researchers at United States Naval Observatory

Which keywords describe research at United States Naval Observatory?

By fractional works in 2022–2025, weighted toward what it does more of than the world: Exoplanets, Stellar Astrophysics, Star Formation, Black Holes, Accretion Disks, Magnetic Fields, Astronomical Instrumentation and Spectrograph.

▲ 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. Exoplanets8▲ 368×1 topic
  2. Stellar Astrophysics8▲ 368×1 topic
  3. Star Formation5▲ 189×2 topics
  4. Black Holes5▲ 93×2 topics
  5. Accretion Disks4▲ 175×2 topics
  6. Magnetic Fields4▲ 127×2 topics
  7. Astronomical Instrumentation4▲ 293×1 topic
  8. Spectrograph4▲ 293×1 topic
  9. Supernovae4▲ 85×2 topics
  10. Solar System Abundances3▲ 129×1 topic
  11. Terrestrial Planets3▲ 129×1 topic
  12. Cosmology3▲ 81×2 topics
  13. Dark Matter3▲ 48×3 topics
  14. Galaxies3▲ 192×1 topic
  15. Gravitational Waves3▲ 94×2 topics
  16. Stellar Populations3▲ 192×1 topic
  17. Atomic Clocks3▲ 600×1 topic
  18. Gamma-Ray Bursts3▲ 189×1 topic
  19. Neutron Stars3▲ 189×1 topic
  20. Nucleosynthesis3▲ 104×2 topics
  21. Optical Clocks3▲ 600×1 topic
  22. Radio Astronomy3▲ 229×2 topics
  23. Molecular Clouds2▲ 185×1 topic
  24. Optical 3D Laser Measurement2▲ 413×1 topic
  25. Position-Sensitive Detector2▲ 413×1 topic
  26. Protoplanetary Disks2▲ 185×1 topic
  27. Event Horizon Telescope2▲ 163×1 topic
  28. Galactic Center2▲ 81×2 topics
  29. X-Ray Astronomy2▲ 163×1 topic
  30. Cosmic Rays2▲ 65×2 topics
  31. Neutrinos2▲ 65×2 topics
  32. Epoch of Reionization2▲ 254×1 topic
  33. High-Energy Astrophysics2▲ 119×1 topic
  34. Low-Frequency Telescopes2▲ 254×1 topic
  35. Particle Acceleration2▲ 119×1 topic
  36. Hydrological Modeling2▲ 13×3 topics
  37. Quantum Simulation2▲ 36×1 topic
  38. Sea Level Rise2▲ 23×2 topics
  39. Ultracold Gases2▲ 109×1 topic
  40. GRACE1▲ 50×1 topic

Which research topics does United States Naval Observatory publish most on?

By volume in 2022–2025: Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies, Astronomy and Astrophysical Research, Astro and Planetary Science and Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena.

Stellar, planetary, and …8Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies: 8 fractional worksAstronomy and Astrophysical Research: 4 fractional worksAstro and Planetary Science: 3 fractional worksGalaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena: 3 fractional worksGamma-ray bursts and supernovae: 3 fractional worksAdvanced Frequency and Time Standards: 3 fractional worksAstrophysics and Star Fo…2Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies: 2 fractional worksAstronomical Observations and Instrumentation: 2 fractional worksAstrophysical Phenomena and Observations: 2 fractional worksAstrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena: 2 fractional works
Astronomy and AstrophysicsInstrumentationAtomic and Molecular Physics, and OpticsComputational Mechanics1 others

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

  1. 1 Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies Astronomy and Astrophysics 8 works
  2. 2 Astronomy and Astrophysical Research Instrumentation 4 works
  3. 3 Astro and Planetary Science Astronomy and Astrophysics 3 works
  4. 4 Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena Astronomy and Astrophysics 3 works
  5. 5 Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae Astronomy and Astrophysics 3 works
  6. 6 Advanced Frequency and Time Standards Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics 3 works
  7. 7 Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies Astronomy and Astrophysics 2 works
  8. 8 Astronomical Observations and Instrumentation Computational Mechanics 2 works
  9. 9 Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations Astronomy and Astrophysics 2 works
  10. 10 Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena Nuclear and High Energy Physics 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 available47.1%not open52.9%

World: 28% of research is openly available.

with international co-authors14.8%domestic only85.2%

World: 19% is written across borders.

How has United States Naval Observatory's research output changed?

Output in 2018–2022 was 18% 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 Flagstaff

All research institutions in Flagstaff

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.