Haleakala atop Maui, Hawaii, was recommended as the future site of the
world’s largest optical solar telescope, with a final decision to be made
in December based on logistical and other issues.
The Science Working Group of the Advanced Technology Solar Telescope
(ATST) project made the recommendation during a workshop in Tucson on Oct.
14, following the review of an additional year of site survey data from
Haleakala and the two other candidate sites in California and the Canary
Islands. The data was collected and analyzed by the Site Survey Working
Group after the initial down selection from six sites to these three sites
last year.
If approved, the Haleakala site will be developed in conjunction with the
University of Hawaii’s Institute for Astronomy, which now operates the
Mees Solar Observatory at the site on Maui, third largest of the Hawaiian
Islands. The site is 3 km [10,023 ft] above sea level.
“This site recommendation is a major step forward for ATST,” said Dr.
Stephen Keil, the ATST project director of the National Solar Observatory
(NSO), which is leading the project. “However, the site selection is not
yet finalized. The ATST co-principal investigators must review the
scientific report and recommendations and discuss them with the National
Science Foundation and the Association of Universities for Research in
Astronomy, which provides management oversight for the NSO.”
“We are extremely excited that the Science Working Group has recognized
the enormous scientific potential of Haleakala,” said Dr. Rolf Peter
Kudritzki, director of the Institute for Astronomy at the University of
Hawaii. “Haleakala, ‘the House of the Sun,’ is a truly unique place, from
a scientific viewpoint, as well as for its spiritual and cultural value to
the Hawaiian people. The University of Hawaii first took interest in the
Haleakala for solar research in the mid 1950’s and built the University’s
first observatory, the Mees Solar Observatory, in 1964. Having the ATST
come to Haleakala would be the next natural step in the evolution of solar
research, to follow recent IfA advances in coronal observation and
development of new infrared instrumentation for solar physics on
Haleakala.”
“ATST will be the largest solar optical observatory and the world’s
leading resource for studying the magnetism that control solar wind, solar
flares and variability in the suns’ output,” said Dr. Thomas Rimmele of
NSO, the ATST project scientist at Sunspot. “The ATST will advance
fundamental understanding of the star that most affects life on Earth.”
Some scientists have described the ATST as a “solar microscope” because of
its ability to zoom in on fine-scale, short-lived features throughout the
solar atmosphere, including the corona. ATST will have a 4-meter aperture
employing state-of-the-art technology such as adaptive optics, which will
let it achieve unprecedented spatial resolutions as fine as 0.03
arc-second (~20 km on the sun).
The extensive ATST site survey was designed to help select a site that
will maximize the scientific productivity of the telescope. The desired
daytime atmospheric characteristics of such a site are frequently clear
skies, excellent seeing and low sky brightness, which is needed for
observations of the faint corona. Low humidity, few aircraft contrails,
and low dust levels are also of advantage. The initial ATST survey chose
six sites as the best of an initial list of 72 potential sites: Haleakala,
HI, La Palma, the Canary Islands, Spain; Big Bear Lake, CA; Sunspot, NM;
Panguitch Lake, UT; and San Pedro Martir, Baja, Mexico. In late 2003
Haleakala, Big Bear, and La Palma were selected for further evaluation.
“Each of the candidate sites has a unique combination of atmospheric
conditions and other factors that would make it an outstanding location
for the ATST,” Rimmele stressed. “However, the survey data indicated a
number of advantages that put Hawaii at the top of the list for final
consideration for this particular project.”
ATST is a project of the solar physics research community, led by the NSO,
the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (NSO’s parent
organization), and supported by the National Science Foundation. It has
been highly ranked by the latest Decadal Survey of Astronomy and
Astrophysics (2000) and a National Academy of Sciences study of
ground-based solar astronomy.
The 2003 announcement of the semi-final site selection, and links to
additional information about the site survey process, are on line at:
http://www.nso.edu/press/ATST_CandidateSites.html
Questions about ATST
When will ATST become operational?
First light is expected around 2010-2012, depending on how funding becomes
available.
How much will ATST cost?
The NSO proposal estimates a cost of $161.4 million. This is an average
figure based on all six proposed sites. We expect changes as final details
are optimized for Haleakala.
How many people will be employed at the site?
Based on experience with Gemini, we estimate that 40 to 50 scientists,
engineers, and others staff will work at ATST. Many of these are on staff
now at NSO. Job opportunities are announced at
http://atst.nso.edu/jobs.html .
What is the estimated economic impact of ATST in Hawaii?
We estimate that the payroll will be $5.4 million, non-payroll expenses
will be $4.5 million, and other operating costs will be $3 million for a
total of $12.9 million.
Does this mean that the National Solar Observatory will consolidate its
Arizona and New Mexico facilities in Hawaii?
No location has been selected or recommended for consolidation of NSO
facilities, as recommended in studies that also advocated ATST (among
other solar physics priorities). This will not become a key issue until
after ATST construction is under way.
