GEMINI OBSERVATORY

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Media Information Sheet

Observatory Information

The Gemini Observatory is a multi-national partnership that is comprised of two identical 8.1-meter (26.58 feet) telescopes - one on Hawaii's Mauna Kea and another on central Chile's Cerro Pachón. The international partners include the United States, Canada, Chile, Australia, Brazil and Argentina. Astronomers in each country are allotted observing time in proportion to their country's contribution. The Gemini telescopes are the largest publicly funded optical/infrared telescopes available for astronomers in each of the partner countries.

Gemini's advanced technology and superb optical and infrared capabilities allow it to probe areas of our universe with more clarity than has ever been possible. Included in Gemini's studies are regions where stars and planets are forming deep within cool gas clouds. Gemini's ability to penetrate clouds of galactic dust and gas take Gemini to the core of our own, and other galaxies to provide new insights on the violent events that dwell in these areas. The tremendous light gathering power of the Gemini telescopes also probes to the very edges of our universe and leads to a deeper understanding of the origin, history and ultimate fate of the cosmos.

The Gemini Observatory is one of the first large ground-based observatories with an operational philosophy that integrates remote operations with a very efficient observing mode called queue scheduling. Queue scheduling allows astronomers to submit observing proposals that can be executed by Gemini staff when conditions are optimal for each type of research. In many cases, this eliminates the need for astronomers to travel great distances to make observations while reducing the risk of weather related impact on observations.

The combination of advanced technology and engineering, integrated with an innovative operational philosophy, make Gemini a model observatory for the next century and a new generation of astronomers.

Gemini North (on Mauna Kea) had first light in 1999, followed by commissioning and a phase-in of scientific operations through 2000. Gemini South (on Cerro Pachón) had first light about one year after Gemini North.

Gemini Facts

Both Gemini telescopes have identical 8.1-meter (26.58 feet) single-piece mirrors that explore the skies over both the northern and southern hemispheres.

Each of the Gemini Observatory domes is over 15 stories high (45 meters, 150 feet) high and weighs over 54,431 kilograms (600 US tons).

Weighing approximately 380 US tons, the Gemini telescope structures ride on oil bearings and can be moved by a single person when drive motors are disengaged.

Gemini uses a new technology called adaptive optics that actually corrects for distortions to starlight caused by our atmosphere. This technology produces some of the sharpest views of our universe ever obtained.

The Gemini mirrors are only about 20 cm (8 inches) thick and are not designed to maintain their precise shape with out some help. 120 "actuators" gently nudge the mirrors back into perfect form. These adjustments are typically only about 1/1,000 the thickness of a human hair.

Each of the Gemini telescopes utilizes the most advanced coating facilities ever built. Located at each of the observatories, these coating plants are able to coat the 8.1 meter (26.58 feet) primary mirrors with either aluminum or protected silver. The unique silver coating allows Gemini to produce infrared images of unparalleled quality.

In August 1998, most of the Gemini's 60+ staff relocated to the new Northern Operations Center in Hilo, HI. This new 1,557 square meters (17,300 square foot) facility is home to the Gemini administrative offices, remote access control center, instrument labs, meeting/conference facilities and will serve as a hub for the Gemini world-wide communications network.

The Gemini telescopes have the capability of being remotely controlled from base facilities in Hilo, HI and La Serena, Chile. This provides very efficient operations in a comfortable, sea-level environment.

Each Gemini telescope uses identical 8.1-meter (26.58 feet) single-piece mirrors to make these two telescopes among the largest optical/infrared telescopes on our planet. Only the Keck segmented mirror telescopes are significantly larger.

Gemini's striking silver dome maintains better thermal stability than traditional white domes.

Gemini uses innovative 10 meter (32.8 feet) wide vents at the base of each dome to allow ample airflow over the telescope's mirror and produce the most stable thermal environment ever created for a ground-based observatory. This results in significantly sharper images for both optical and infrared observations.

The construction budget for both Gemini telescopes is $184 million US dollars. The operational budget to run both Gemini telescopes is about $16 million /year with $4 million/year for instrument development. It is estimated that each night on either of the Gemini telescopes is worth about $33,000.


The Gemini Observatory is an international collaboration that has built two identical 8-meter telescopes. The Frederick C. Gillett Gemini Telescope is located at Mauna Kea, Hawai`i (Gemini North) and the other telescope at Cerro Pachón in central Chile (Gemini South), and hence provide full coverage of both hemispheres of the sky. Both telescopes incorporate new technologies that allow large, relatively thin mirrors under active control to collect and focus both optical and infrared radiation from space.

The Gemini Observatory provides the astronomical communities in each partner country with state-of-the-art astronomical facilities that allocate observing time in proportion to each country's contribution. In addition to financial support, each country also contributes significant scientific and technical resources. The national research agencies that form the Gemini partnership include: the US National Science Foundation (NSF), the UK Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC), the Canadian National Research Council (NRC), the Chilean Comisión Nacional de Investigación Cientifica y Tecnológica (CONICYT), the Australian Research Council (ARC), the Argentinean Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) and the Brazilian Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq). The Observatory is managed by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. (AURA) under a cooperative agreement with the NSF. The NSF also serves as the executive agency for the international partnership.


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Peter Michaud / pmichaud@gemini.edu / April 22, 2003