Honolulu Star Bulletin - Nov. 25, 2007
HILO » The United Kingdom has announced its plan to withdraw from participation in the two Gemini observatories, one on Mauna Kea and the other in Chile, because of budget concerns, according to the Royal Astronomical Society.
The decision will leave British astronomers with no access to large telescopes in the Northern Hemisphere, although it still has agreements to use large telescopes in the southern hemisphere, society officials said earlier this month.
"This decision is a serious mistake and a shock to all of us," Michael Rowan-Robinson, society president, said in a press release. "If it goes ahead, it will deny UK scientists access to large telescopes in the northern hemisphere and hinder their ability to study almost half the sky."
Gemini issued a statement saying its board of directors "deeply regrets" the British decision.
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