GNS Science

GNS Science, known in Māori as Te Pū Ao, is a Crown Research Institute based in Wellington, New Zealand, established on 1 July 1992.

About GNS Science

Officially registered as the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Limited, GNS Science focuses on geology, geophysics (including seismology and volcanology), and nuclear science, particularly ion-beam technologies, isotope science and carbon dating. Its research draws on more than 150 years of New Zealand earth sciences heritage, tracing back to work that began in 1865.

History

Founded in 1992, GNS Science operated as a standalone Crown Research Institute for over three decades. On 1 July 2025, it became part of a newly formed body, Public Research Organisation Earth Sciences New Zealand, marking a new chapter in how the country organises its earth-science research.

Location & getting there

GNS Science is headquartered in Wellington, New Zealand's capital, on the North Island, with research reaching across the country's geologically active landscape of fault lines and volcanoes.

Visiting GNS Science

GNS Science is primarily a research institute rather than a public observatory. Anyone interested in visiting or learning more about its work should check the official website for current outreach programmes before planning a trip.

See your named star from here

An institute built around studying the Earth from below and above is a fitting place to think about the sky overhead too. Wherever GNS Science's researchers look up from Wellington, a named star's coordinates hold steady and can be found with a telescope from this part of New Zealand. Name a star and check its position in our catalogue.