Gemini North Shutdown and Progress

The Gemini North telescope remains closed following the failure of the dome shutter mechanism. The large crane required for the repair will be in place at Mauna Kea today, and the work is scheduled to be complete by January 24. In the meantime, several tasks make use of the shutdown, including replacement of the cold heads on the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph at Gemini North (GMOS-North), live testing of the software and data handling system for the new GMOS CCDs that will be installed on GMOS-South, and optimization of the laser guide star system. Some more current detail is posted at www.gemini.edu/node/12115, and further updates will be provided through Gemini’s General Announcements page.