About the Subaru Telescope

The observatory of the Subaru Telescope was officially established in April 1997, following the completion of its base facility building in Hilo, Hawaii. "Subaru Telescope" can refer to the telescope itself or the entire observatory organization. Due to the difficulty of operating at high altitude, most of the support work for the telescope is conducted in Hilo by a staff of about 100 people. The Hilo Base Facility houses several research laboratories, a library, and extensive computing facilities including a supercomputer.

Subaru Telescope is located on the summit region of Maunakea, a dormant volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii. The summit of Maunakea is an isolated peak that protrudes above most of the Earth's weather systems. The air pressure up on Maunakea is only two-third of what it is at the sea level. Clouds typically form below the summit where an inversion layer keeps the clouds from rising to the summit. Because Hawaii is isolated from any other land mass, trade winds blow smoothly over the islands, and there are few cities to pollute its dark skies.

The summit region of Maunakea is one of the best astronomical observing sites in the world. Besides Subaru Telescope, there are three other 8-10 m class telescopes on Maunakea, the Gemini North telescope and the two Keck telescopes.

Maunakea is an irreplaceable natural and cultural resource. As a science reserve, development is carefully managed to balance the needs of preservation as well as exploration.