Caltech has announced plans to decommission of the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory on Mauna Kea.I wonder if this closure has anything to do with the State of California’s financial problems. After all the latter was probably a big reason why the California Institute of Technology stuck a 12 million dollar astronomy viewing time deal with Yale University. Which will give Yale’s astronomy department 15 nights of astronomy viewing at the W.M. Keck Observatory per year.
[ Tom at A Pacific View left this comment in regards to Caltech decommissioning their telescope on Mauna Kea.
"Aaron,
I left the following comment at The Big Island Chronicle, unfortunately after you had read the article.
“Firstly, the HTH article is a little misleading as it infers that the telescope will close soon. The decommissioning date is 2016 with the site returned to its original state by 2018.”
“Secondly, the reason for closing the CSO, according to Caltech, is due to the construction of a next-generation submillimter telescope in Chile called the Cornell Caltech Atacama Telescope which will essentially supercede the CSO.”
“I don’t believe there is any connection between the planned closure and the TMT, they are two completely different types of telescope and the planned site for the TMT on Mauna Kea is nowhere near the current location of the CSO.”
Tom"
Aaron- Thanks for the clarification. The proposed construction of the TMT on Mauna Kea never crossed my mind why Caltech is decommissioning their telescope. I figured it was due to the State of California’s financial problems ?"]
It appears the legislature has deferred legislation allowing the counties to levy a sales tax (HB 1605). This likely because because the county mayors have come out in opposition.This legislation was a obvious ploy by the legislature to strip the counties of their share of the Transient Accommodation Tax.However this deferment probably means that its less likely they’ll strip the counties of their share of the TAT revenue now.
Lastly, I noticed this tweet about the legislature’s action in the Hawaii ceded lands litigation.
“House/Senate agreed upon Senate conf. draft of ceded lands bill SB1677 requiring a two-thirds approval by both chambers for sale/transfer”
April 30th, 2009 at 6:07 PM
Aaron,
I left the following comment at The Big Island Chronicle, unfortunately after you had read the article.
“Firstly, the HTH article is a little misleading as it infers that the telescope will close soon. The decommissioning date is 2016 with the site returned to its original state by 2018.”
“Secondly, the reason for closing the CSO, according to Caltech, is due to the construction of a next-generation submillimter telescope in Chile called the Cornell Caltech Atacama Telescope which will essentially supercede the CSO.”
“I don’t believe there is any connection between the planned closure and the TMT, they are two completely different types of telescope and the planned site for the TMT on Mauna Kea is nowhere near the current location of the CSO.”
Tom
Aaron- Thanks for the clarification. The proposed construction of the TMT on Mauna Kea never crossed my mind why Caltech is decommissioning their telescope. I figured it was due to the State of California’s financial problems ?
April 30th, 2009 at 6:43 PM
I don’t think it’s connected with CA’s financial problems, but who really knows? And apologies for any confusion, the comment about the TMT was in there as it was a response to another comment on the Big Island Chronicle.
Of course if Caltech had limitless money they would probably continue to run the CSO and the Atacama telescope as it would give them better sky coverage (i.e., northern and southern hemisphere), so I’m sure finances do come into it, but the basic reason is that there will be a bigger and better telescope built, albeit in Chile.