New solar telescope in Hawaii aims to open in 3 months

HONOLULU (AP) — The project director of a new solar telescope in Hawaii hopes scientists will be able to start observations in three months. The Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope at the summit of Haleakalā volcano on Maui was supposed to open last fall. But Thomas Rimmele told Hawaii Public Radio COVID-19 travel restrictions set back construction on the telescope’s critical systems. He hopes the current schedule won’t be affected by newly surging coronavirus cases and any additional restrictions. He says the telescopes aims to open on Nov. 15. The telescope has received about 100 proposals from researchers for its first two-and-a-half month observing window.