UKIRT – Behind The Black – Robert Zimmerman

Hawaii names third telescope to be removed from Mauna Kea

October 21, 2015 4:38 pm Robert Zimmerman

The dark ages return! The University of Hawaii has announced that the UKIRT Observatory on Mauna Kea will be decommissioned, making it the third telescope to be removed in order to try to satisfy the protesters hostile to the construction of the new Thirty Meter Telescope.

You wanna bet this won’t satisfy the protesters and that they will demand more while refusing to end their protests?

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The world’s second largest infrared telescope on Mauna Kea is for sale.

October 8, 2012 4:55 pm Robert Zimmerman

Want to buy a telescope? The world’s second largest infrared telescope on Mauna Kea is for sale.

The price is relatively cheap, $1.24 million. All that is needed is a private corporation eager to get some good publicity while contributing to the science of astronomy.

Unless they can find a buyer the United Kingdom will close down its 3.8 meter infrared UKIRT telescope on Mauna Kea in 2013.

June 13, 2012 9:41 am Robert Zimmerman

Telescope for sale: Unless they can find a buyer the United Kingdom will close down its 3.8 meter infrared UKIRT telescope on Mauna Kea in 2013.

This is a tragedy. A 3.8 meter telescope is no slouch and can do amazing research. The problem is that all the available money in ground-based astronomy is now being eaten up by the construction of giant telescopes in the 20 to 40 meter range.

What astronomy needs are some wealthy philanthropists who would like to buy these mid-sized telescopes, put their names on it, and finance their operation. This is how most big telescopes were made possible before World War II.

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