09-30-2017, 05:03 PM
Aaron - that was the position in early 2015 but Governer Ige's announcement of reducing the number of telescopes on Mauna Kea by 25% by the time TMT was operational threw a spanner in the works. I could go on for ages about this, but won't now.
Eric - I agree the wording leaves the option to rebuild on a decommissioned site. However, the summit ridge, which is the best site for optical/IR observing, contains Hokukea, UKIRT, the UH 2.2-meter, Gemini and the CFHT. Of those, CFHT and Gemini aren't under threat of closure and the UH telescope is currently being renovated. UKIRT is a target for political reasons (it is currently the top-performing telescope on the planet) and the Hokukea doesn't work. Many years ago, the UKIRT site was identified by UH as one which would not be redeveloped and the Hokukea site is far too small for a major observatory.
Other sites under threat include the VLBA, JCMT and the SMA, none of them are good spots for optical/IR telescopes, and the JCMT and SMA plots are not large enough to allow redevelopment of submillimeter telescopes that would compete with ALMA in Chile.
I obviously can't predict what the situation will be in fifteen years time, but right now can't see any of the sites being redeveloped if a telescope is decommissioned and removed.
Eric - I agree the wording leaves the option to rebuild on a decommissioned site. However, the summit ridge, which is the best site for optical/IR observing, contains Hokukea, UKIRT, the UH 2.2-meter, Gemini and the CFHT. Of those, CFHT and Gemini aren't under threat of closure and the UH telescope is currently being renovated. UKIRT is a target for political reasons (it is currently the top-performing telescope on the planet) and the Hokukea doesn't work. Many years ago, the UKIRT site was identified by UH as one which would not be redeveloped and the Hokukea site is far too small for a major observatory.
Other sites under threat include the VLBA, JCMT and the SMA, none of them are good spots for optical/IR telescopes, and the JCMT and SMA plots are not large enough to allow redevelopment of submillimeter telescopes that would compete with ALMA in Chile.
I obviously can't predict what the situation will be in fifteen years time, but right now can't see any of the sites being redeveloped if a telescope is decommissioned and removed.
