Big Island Video News

Serving Hawaii County

  • Hawaiʻi Island News Regions
    • Hamakua
      • Mauna Kea
    • Hilo
    • Kau
    • Kona
    • Kohala
    • Puna



video courtesy Hawaii State Legislature via ʻŌlelo Community Media, edited by BIVN

VIDEO: Update On Taking Telescopes Off Mauna Kea

by Big Island Video News
on Jan 29, 2019 at 10:04 pm

Subscribe to Big Island Video News (FREE)

* indicates required

STORY SUMMARY

HONOLULU, Hawaiʻi - During a briefing on the Thirty Meter Telescope, Hawaii State Senators wanted to know about progress towards decommissioning multiple existing telescopes on Mauna Kea.

(BIVN) – State lawmakers recently got an update on the process of decommissioning telescopes on Mauna Kea in order to make way for the Thirty Meter Telescope on the mountain.

Taking existing astronomical observatories off Mauna Kea is a condition of the permit to build TMT, granted by the state Board of Land and Natural Resources.

Robert McLaren, the Interim Director for the University of Hawaiʻi Institute for Astronomy, gave an update before a joint meeting of the State Senate Committee on Water and Land, Committee on Higher Education, and Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs on January 24.

According to condition 10 of the conservation district use permit:

The University will decommission three telescopes permanently, as soon as reasonably possible, and no new observatories will be constructed on those sites. This commitment will be legally binding on the University and shall be included in any lease renewal or extension proposed by the University for Mauna Kea;

McLaren said those three observatories have been identified as the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory, and two University of Hawaiʻi-managed telescopes: Hoku Keʻa and UKIRT.

Condition 11 of the CDUP goes further:

Notwithstanding any lease renewal or extension, consistent with the Decommissioning Plan, at least two additional facilities will be permanently decommissioned by December 31, 2033, including the Very Long Baseline Array antenna and at least one additional observatory.

McLaren said the additional telescope will likely be “one or other of the remaining submilimeter telescopes, but we are not in a position to identify specifically that one at this point.”


Filed Under: Hamakua Tagged With: Bob McLaren, Caltech Submillimeter Observatory, Hoku Kea, Kai Kahele, Mauna Kea, Thirty Meter Telescope, UKIRT

LATEST NEWS

Hawaiʻi Police Department’s 95th Recruit Class Graduates

New Photos Show Lava Lake Activity At Kīlauea After 9 Months

Bills Related To Broadband, Digital Literacy Signed Into Law

Hu Honua Files Appeal With Hawaiʻi Supreme Court

Homicide At Hawaiian Beaches, Neighbor In Police Custody

Firework Permit Info For Hawaiʻi Island Ahead of July 4th

About Big Island Video News

  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2022 · Dynamik-Gen on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in