Haleakala chosen for $161 million telescope

Conceptual design of Advanced Technology Solar Telescope Observatory facility.

Maui's Haleakala -- the House of the Sun -- was selected yesterday as the site of the world's largest optical solar telescope, the $161 million Advanced Technology Solar Telescope.

The move capped a three-year search that began with 70 potential sites around the world and ended with Haleakala standing tall as best fulfilling the science requirements of the solar telescope.

"This is a major research project, a fantastic project," said Rolf-Peter Kudritzki, director of the University of Hawai'i's Institute for Astronomy. "I am extremely happy that we are now able to attract this project to Hawai'i."

The approval was announced after the board of directors of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy formally endorsed the recommendation of a scientific review panel.