About the Laboratory
The main missions of the CRAL Joint Research Unit are as follows:
To conduct theoretical and observational research in astrophysics and astronomy.
To manage and develop instrumental projects for major observatories or space missions.
To provide and deploy its national observation services in astronomy and astrophysics, accredited by the CNRS-INSU.
To conduct teaching activities in physics and astrophysics.
The Lyon Astrophysics Research Center (CRAL) is a Joint Research Unit (UMR5574) affiliated with Claude Bernard Lyon 1 University, the École Normale Supérieure (ENS) in Lyon, and the CNRS.
CRAL is a laboratory dedicated to fundamental research in astrophysics and the development of instruments for major observatories.
CRAL comprises approximately 30 researchers and faculty members, 20 engineers, technicians, and administrative staff, and 30 doctoral students, postdoctoral researchers, and fixed-term contract employees. CRAL hosts the LabEx LIO on its premises, as well as Lyon-based M2 students in the Lyon-Montpellier Master’s in Astrophysics program.
Key Figures
High-performance instrument platform
LabEx LIO Lead
Master's in Astrophysics, Lyon-Montpellier
Centers of expertise
research teams
Total ERC
INSU-AA-OSUL National Observation Campaigns
Visitors and interns per year
Some figures:
30 percent of women in tenured positions
40 student interns
1995: Year the CRAL was founded
2009: Year construction of the CRAL Integration Hall was completed
2,370 m² of space occupied by CRAL (310 m² at the ENS de Lyon – Monod, 7th arrondissement, and 2,060 m² at the UCBL1 on the historic site of the Lyon Observatory – St-Genis-Laval).