The National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) was the United States nationalobservatory for ground-based nighttime ultraviolet-optical-infrared (OUVIR)
in the state of Ceará, Brazil, approximately 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of Fortaleza. The facility is owned by the National Institute for Space Research
– 21 June 1908) was a Belgian-Brazilian astronomer and geodesist. He was Director of the BrazilianNationalObservatory from 1881 to 1908, led the commission