Winter Blasts Maunakea

This image is a screenshot taken from footage from the UH88 camera pointed at the Gemini North telescope, dated Friday, December 9, 2016.

The tilt of our planet’s axis has once again delivered an extended period of weather not conducive to astronomical observing on Maunakea. Starting in late November a series of fronts, troughs, and low-pressure systems have produced overcast skies, wind, and, most recently, significant snow (with drifting) at the Gemini North site. In the past month (since mid-November) 16 nights have been entirely lost to weather, and an additional four have been more than half lost. Overall, we have only managed to obtain science for about one-third of the available time.