High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Australian Astronomical Observatory (AAO), formerly the Anglo-Australian Observatory, is an optical/near-infrared astronomy observatory with its headquarters in suburban Sydney, Australia. Originally funded jointly by the United Kingdom and Australian governments, it is now managed wholly by Australia`s Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, and operates the 3.9 metre Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT) and 1.2 metre UK Schmidt Telescope (UKST) at Siding Spring Observatory, located near the town of Coonabarabran, Australia.