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Joint Astronomy Centre

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Our funding agency in the UK, the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), have recently announced their science programme for the next 5 years. For the JAC telescopes, it includes:

  • a commitment to continue operating the JCMT until at least 2012; and
  • a "managed withdrawal" from UKIRT on a timescale to be defined.

Although the public announcement does not explicitly state this, continuation of the JCMT beyond 2012 is envisaged and is contingent, inter alia, on the astronomical performance of the SCUBA-2 instrument.

The UKIRT decision is a profound disappointment for everyone associated with the observatory. We are working with STFC to define the timescale and the implementation details, and we are also looking at alternative modes of operation. We emphasise that no decision has yet been taken to close the facility.


JCMT
UKIRT
James Clerk Maxwell
Submillimetre Telescope

United Kingdom
Infrared Telescope

Latest News:

The Joint Astronomy Centre provides services and support to enable visiting and staff astronomers to undertake top-quality, front-line international-class research using the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope and the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope; to develop these facilities in order to maintain their position as the most advanced of their kind in the world; to operate them in the most cost effective and efficient manner on behalf of the funding agencies; and to be responsive to the changing needs of the contributing organisations.


Science and Technology Facilities Council
The JAC is an establishment of the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council operated in partnership with Canada and The Netherlands.

Contact: JAC webmasters. Updated: Thu Jan 21 11:57:57 HST 2010

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