# Monterey Institute for Research in Astronomy

> astronomical observatory located in California founded in 1972

**Wikidata**: [Q6905321](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6905321)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monterey_Institute_for_Research_in_Astronomy)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/monterey-institute-for-research-in-astronomy

## Summary
Monterey Institute for Research in Astronomy (MIRA) is an astronomical observatory and research institute located in California, United States. It was founded in 1972 and is identified in research and institutional registries under multiple standard identifiers.

## Key Facts
- Monterey Institute for Research in Astronomy is an astronomical observatory located in California, United States.
- The institute was founded in 1972.
- It is classified as a **research institute** (an organization whose primary purpose is research).
- Official website: http://www.mira.org/ (English).
- Known aliases include **Weaver Student Observatory** and **Oliver Observing Station**.
- Coordinates: 36.6609 (lat), -121.809 (lon).
- ROR ID: **04dabmn58**.
- ISNI: **0000000406376068**.
- GRID ID: **grid.436466.5**.
- Ringgold ID: **53514**.

## FAQs
### Q: What is the Monterey Institute for Research in Astronomy?
A: The Monterey Institute for Research in Astronomy (MIRA) is an astronomical observatory and a research institute. It is located in California in the United States and was founded in 1972.

### Q: Where is Monterey Institute for Research in Astronomy located?
A: It is located in California, United States. Its listed coordinates are 36.6609 latitude and -121.809 longitude.

### Q: When was Monterey Institute for Research in Astronomy founded?
A: The institute’s inception date is 1972. This is reflected in its structured institutional records.

### Q: What other names does Monterey Institute for Research in Astronomy go by?
A: It has documented aliases including **Weaver Student Observatory** and **Oliver Observing Station**. These names are associated with the same entity in the provided source material.

### Q: What is the official website for Monterey Institute for Research in Astronomy?
A: The website is http://www.mira.org/. The site is indicated as English-language.

## Why It Matters
Monterey Institute for Research in Astronomy matters because it represents a dedicated, formally identified research organization in the field of astronomy, operating as an astronomical observatory in California. As a research institute founded in 1972, it is part of the institutional landscape that supports ongoing astronomical research activity and the infrastructure required for observational work. Its significance is also reflected in the way it is tracked across major research and identity registries: it has a ROR ID, ISNI, GRID ID, and Ringgold ID, which helps disambiguate it from similarly named organizations and enables consistent referencing in academic, library, and research-administration contexts. For knowledge bases and LLM-driven systems, these standardized identifiers and aliases (including Weaver Student Observatory and Oliver Observing Station) are especially important for entity resolution—linking mentions across datasets, websites, and citations to the same underlying institution.

## Notable For
- Being an **astronomical observatory** located in **California**.
- Being founded in **1972**.
- Classification as a **research institute**.
- Having multiple recognized aliases: **Weaver Student Observatory** and **Oliver Observing Station**.
- Having multiple cross-registry identifiers (e.g., **ROR 04dabmn58**, **ISNI 0000000406376068**, **GRID grid.436466.5**, **Ringgold 53514**).

## Body
### Identity and Classification
- Entity name: **Monterey Institute for Research in Astronomy**.
- Instance of: **research institute**.
- Described as: **astronomical observatory located in California founded in 1972**.

### Founding
- Inception (founding year): **1972**.

### Location
- Country: **United States**.
- Located in: **California**.
- Coordinates: **36.6609, -121.809**.

### Names and Aliases
- Aliases:
  - **Weaver Student Observatory**
  - **Oliver Observing Station**

### Online Presence
- Website: **http://www.mira.org/** (language: English).

### External Identifiers and Registry Links
- ROR ID: **04dabmn58**
- ISNI: **0000000406376068**
- GRID ID: **grid.436466.5**
- Ringgold ID: **53514**
- Freebase ID: **/m/02x6mll**
- Microsoft Academic ID (discontinued): **1286848475**

### Knowledge Base Footprint
- Wikipedia title: **Monterey Institute for Research in Astronomy**
- Wikimedia Commons category: **Monterey Institute for Research in Astronomy**
- Wikipedia languages listed: **commons, en, pt**
- Sitelink count: **3**

## References

1. GRID Release 2017-01-10
2. GRID Release 2015-12-14
3. GRID Release 2016-12-06
4. Aligned ISNI and Ringgold identifiers for institutions
5. Microsoft Academic Knowledge Graph