United Kingdom Infrared Telescope

United Kingdom Infrared Telescope

UKIRT, the United Kingdom Infra-Red Telescope, is a 3.8 metre (150 inch) infrared reflecting telescope, the second largest dedicated infrared (1 to 30 micrometres) telescope in the world. It is operated by the Joint Astronomy Centre in Hilo and located on Mauna Kea, Hawai'i as part of Mauna Kea Observatory. It is owned by the United Kingdom Science and Technology Facilities Council, which announced it was gong to shut it down or transfer operations at the end of 2013. Scientists described the shutdown as "very sad" and noted its cutting edge science.

Read more about United Kingdom Infrared Telescope:  History, Instrumentation, Upgrades, Shutdown, Contemporaries On Commissioning

Famous quotes containing the words united, kingdom and/or telescope:

    The heroes of the world community are not those who withdraw when difficulties ensue, not those who can envision neither the prospect of success nor the consequence of failure—but those who stand the heat of battle, the fight for world peace through the United Nations.
    Hubert H. Humphrey (1911–1978)

    My kingdom for a nightman!
    Samuel Beckett (1906–1989)

    The telescope at one end of his beat,
    And at the other end the microscope....
    Robert Frost (1874–1963)