UC should continue supporting Thirty Meter Telescope on Maunakea
We agree with The Daily Californian’s editorial board that astronomy on Maunakea is an important topic for the UC system. However, the editorial opposing the Thirty Meter Telescope, or TMT, project massively misinforms readers and marginalizes the voices of Hawaiians and lifelong and recent Hawai’i residents who support this telescope, despite pressure to stay silent voices like ours.
The editorial begins with a highly incendiary illustration, implying that the construction of the TMT project either completely removes a pu’u (cinder cone) on Maunakea or the top of the mauna itself (with conspicuously white hands). Neither implication is true. As shown in this figure, the site of the TMT project is a flat lava plain far away from culturally significant sites on Maunakea. Its area is roughly equal to the UC system-supported Keck Observatory, minuscule compared to the adze quarry complex created by ancient Hawaii
The Maui News
Veteran Hawaii island astronomer Doug Simons has been selected as the next director of the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy, which oversees observatories on Haleakala and Maunakea.
Simons will assume the post on Sept. 1, subject to the formal posting on the agenda of the UH Board of Regents’ meeting on Thursday.
He has worked on Maunakea since 1990 after earning his Ph.D. from the institute, and has also served as the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope executive director since 2012. Simons was the Gemini Observatory director from 2006 to 2011.
“Returning to the IfA, where I received a fabulous education, brings me full circle,” Simons said in a news release Monday. “It is an honor to be chosen to lead an institution so well established globally in astronomical research, education and technology innovation. Among my goals is to broaden IfA’s impact outside of astronomy, creating a department that is an example worldwide of the potential arising fr
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Comet 2020 R4 (ATLAS) remotely imaged from Australia on 9 March as 18:47 UT. The comet is located in north-western Capricornus; the brightest star in the field is magnitude +5.7 HIP 101345. Image: Martin Mobberley.
Long-period comet 2020 R4 (ATLAS) is gracing our predawn skies this week and is well-worth a look through a pair of binoculars or a small telescope. It is the best cometary prospect visible from mid-northern latitudes right now and is all set to end the hiatus in relatively bright icy visitors since we were all thrilled by comet 2020 F3 (NEOWISE) last summer. Although 2020 R4 (ATLAS) is not predicted to put on anything like such a spectacular show as that great comet, it’ll be well-worth a look through a pair of binoculars or a small telescope. Experience has shown that where comets are concerned, one has to gratefully accept what’s on offer while awaiting the next big one!
Cosmic collision: Apophis asteroid just zipped past in silence; its return in 2029 might be close call between us and the moon timesnownews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from timesnownews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.