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» PHOTO GALLERY: Kamaaina Observatory Experience
MAUNA KEA » The astronomy community in Hawaii has taken its lumps over the past year, from the Native Hawaiian-led rebellion against the Thirty Meter Telescope to the state Supreme Court ruling invalidating the project’s construction.
Now the observatory community on Mauna Kea is fighting back. And it begins Saturday.
For the first time in its 50-year history, the world-class telescopes on Hawaii’s tallest mountain will be opening their doors to the public for tours.
The aim, according to a news release, is “to inspire a passion for astronomy and an appreciation for the cultural and environmental future of Mauna Kea among Hawaii residents.”
Astronomers will be drawing back the public curtain on what they describe as the most scientifically productive collection of telescopes on Earth.
“The Mauna Kea Observatories make Hawaii one of the most respected sites on earth for astronomical discovery,” said Doug Simons, executive director of the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. “It is our sincere hope that this program will inspire a passion among kamaaina for astronomy and an appreciation for the cultural and environmental future of Mauna Kea.”
Simons said he hopes the free tours will offer new perspective in the community and serve as “an important seed of resolution” for a conflict that has permeated the mountain over the last year.
“I feel strongly that sharing our stories, I have faith in the coconut wireless, we have a captive audience island community. By doing this over and over and over again, it will really reflect on our mission,” he said.
On Tuesday the observatories offered a preview of what the tours will be like to a half-dozen members of the media.
The towering domes and massive telescopes were indeed impressive, standing out brightly in the crystal-clear air and high altitude at 13,000 feet and more.
“It’s an experience that can’t be beat,” said Joy Pollard, tour coordinator with the Gemini Telescope North, standing underneath the observatory’s immense dome. “I never get tired of it. I’m like a kid in a candy store.”
Both the Gemini North, the twin of Chile’s Gemini South, and the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope were open for exploring Tuesday.
“The best science in the world comes from this mountain,” said Mary Beth Laychak, outreach coordinator with the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope.
The tours arrive amid the uncertainty surrounding the fate of the TMT, the $1.4 billion next-generation telescope planned near the summit of Mauna Kea.
With TMT having its conservation district use permit invalidated by the Hawaii Supreme Court in December, the project is on hold for what could be years as it faces a new contested-case hearing and other potential challenges.
TMT officials say they are waiting on the state to provide a new timeline outlining the permitting process going forward before deciding what to do next.
Astronomers on Mauna Kea say lots of federal dollars are at stake if the TMT doesn’t go forward. Upgrades to the existing observatories are at risk if funders become wary, and Mauna Kea astronomy itself is in danger if the master plan and lease for the mountaintop science reserve is targeted by protesters in the next few decades.
Kealoha Pisciotta, a longtime critic of astronomy on Mauna Kea and a litigant against TMT, said people should know that the summit facilities apparently still have problems with issues such as the handling of waste and sewage.
“It’s great to improve relations. I hope it’s not just cosmetic and trying to compel some people to say yes (to TMT and astronomy). But it still does not change the fact that there are serious issues still going on,” she said.
The tour has at least one powerful supporter. President Barack Obama mentioned it during White House Astronomy Night in October after the tour’s initial announcement.
“They didn’t do that when I was there in high school,” Obama said, addressing a crowd on the South Lawn of the White House. “I wish we had that up there earlier.”
The new program will include transportation to and from the summit and the Maunakea Visitor Information Station, a cultural briefing, a one-hour safety and environmental briefing at Hale Pohaku, and a 1-1/2-hour visit to two of the Mauna Kea Observatories.
Two of the 13 or so telescopes that make up the Mauna Kea community will be featured each month on a rotating basis.
Participating observatories include the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, Gemini Observatory, James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (EAO), NASA Infrared Telescope Facility, Subaru Telescope, Submillimeter Array, W.M. Keck Observatory and, in the future, Thirty Meter Telescope.
The Kamaaina Observatory Experience, as it is called, is open to Hawaii residents. Tours will be available every third Saturday of the month for those 16 and older with a valid Hawaii ID. There are 24 available reservations per tour date.
Reservations are required and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations can be made a maximum of one month in advance. The maximum number in a single reservation party is five people.
This Saturday’s tour is already booked with invitees who emailed expressing interest following October’s announcement.
For more information and to reserve a spot for an upcoming tour, visit kamaainaobservatoryexperience.org.
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