UKIRT To End Maunakea Operations September 15

[MyManao]

End of an era.

And the beginning of another..

From.. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce87e55vgpjo



'A giant leap forward': Nasa launches powerful new space telescope

Which begins..

Nasa's powerful next-generation telescope has blasted off into space from its launchpad in Florida, with a mission to explore dark energy, black holes and other mysteries of the Universe.

The Nancy Grace Roman telescope will capture vast panoramic views of space, with a field of vision 100 times larger than both the Hubble and James Webb space telescopes, Nasa says.

The mission begins with a 100-day journey to a vantage point roughly one million miles from Earth, where the telescope will then start charting planets outside our solar system, known as exoplanets.

"Roman is going to change the way we look at the Universe," said Nicky Fox, a Nasa administrator.

More at link above..

[HiloJulie]

So, the guy who owns the rocket it was launched on gets a free pass now?

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

And the beginning of another..

who owns the rocket

gets a free pass now?

Posts that aren’t about Puna or Hawaii?

[kalianna]

"Posts that aren’t about Puna or Hawaii?"

Itʻs a fine line, isnʻt it? Are posts about the deaths of celebrities who may have once, 40 years ago, been in a B grade movie that shot in Hawaii appropriate? What about rock stars who may have had a vacation house here at some point?

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

Are posts about the … What about

Did the incidents you mention occur inside Hawaii or outside of Hawaii?  There’s a state border that can determine this.
Did the rocket mentioned above launch from Hawaii?

[ironyak]

Gotcha covered fam - inb4 mod try fo clean da hale.

https://mauinow.com/2026/08/29/nasas-rom...d-sensors/
"Decades of University of Hawaiʻi technological innovation and scientific leadership are set to launch on Aug. 30 with NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, a mission that is expected to transform our understanding of the Milky Way and the expansion of the universe.
...
UH’s influence on the mission stretches from the telescope’s technology to the science it will produce. Technology developed by IfA researchers sits at the heart of Roman’s massive camera. UH astronomers helped shape how the telescope will study the Milky Way, are building tools to turn its images into usable science, and will lead projects exploring exploding stars, mysterious dimming stars, and the expansion of the universe.

This work builds on the international reputation of the IfA, one of the world’s premier astronomy programs. UH researchers have helped advance astronomy from Hawaiʻi for decades, including developing technology used on Maunakea, where astronomical research has consistently ranked among the world’s most scientifically influential."
(much more at this and other links about how the tech and experiments were tested and refined up mauka for those that want to practice operating their focuser)

[MyManao]

"Decades of University of Hawaiʻi technological innovation and scientific leadership are set to launch on Aug. 30 with NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, a mission that is expected to transform our understanding of the Milky Way and the expansion of the universe..

And still, for some that live on the Edge, space base astronomy, because you can't drive to it, is bad. And, George Harrison, because he lived (for a spell) on Maui, is good.

Personally, I think Nancy Grace Roman is a perfect outgrowth of, a segue from, UKIRT to a future built on the accomplishments of the past, and its launch's timing is perfect. Hopefully, those that are put out to pasture can enjoy their 'golden years' rather than spend their days crying in their soup about a past they cling to.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

for some that live on the Edge, space base astronomy, because you can't drive to it, is bad.

Please find where I said that?  
I have said that space based will not in the near future completely or significantly replace ground based, so we should maintain what we have, keep what works, and use can be repaired.

As ironyak’s Hawaii-centric link about the Nancy Grace Roman telescope also points out, ground based astronomy in Hawaii provided a valuable and crucial testing ground for components in the telescope recently launched.

I’m all for space based.  I had planned to watch the JAXA mission to Mars launch but every room on Tanegashima is booked.  I own space stock and bought long before the recent hullabal-IPO.

[MyManao]

so we should maintain what we have, keep what works..

We are, all within the terms agreed to by IFA and the rest of the stakeholders, which included, always included, removing older facilities.

No reason to get upset, in fact I think, besides the emotional attachment some have (that can be debated as to whether it is healthy or not) they're doing what they've agreed to do. Of course UKIRT dragged its feet for a decade, and dragged the entire program down in the process. But, hey, finally they are going to go the way they should have gone years ago.

Seriously, Edge, how'd you feel if when you bought your place it had a building on the property and the seller agreed, as part of the sale, to tear it down and haul it away "as soon as possible" and then ten years later the thing was still there? I am sure you'd have all sorts of nasty things to tell anyone that would listen to you about da buggah.

And yes, of course, they contributed to the advancement of the science so that other's can follow.. and follow they are. It's just nice that the Hawaiians can't point at UKIRT anymore and ask the colonizers WTF?

[randomq]

Where are these colonizers, MyManao? Are they in the room with you right now?