The Center of Excellence in Astrophysics and Associated Technologies (CATA) is a scientific and technological institution dedicated to cutting-edge research in astronomy and its related technologies. It is also the largest scientific endeavor in the field led by astronomers from Chile.
CATA brings together a multidisciplinary group of professionals who develop seven areas of scientific research: Cosmology and Galaxy Formation, Supermassive Black Holes and Energetic Phenomena, Galaxies, Stellar Populations, Star and Planet Formation, Exoplanets and Astrobiology, and Theoretical Astrophysics. Additionally, the Center has departments dedicated to astronomical instrumentation, technology transfer, a computing core, and a specialized outreach unit.