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Observatories on a mountain-top site on the island of Hawaii at a height of 4,200 metres (13,800 feet). It is one of the best sites in the world for optical, infrared and sub-millimetre-wave astronomy and has been developed for this purpose since 1970. The first large telescope to be installed was a 2.24-metre (88-inch) reflector of the University of Hawaii. In 1979 three more major telescopes began operation at the observatory: the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT), NASA's Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) and the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. The James Clerk Maxwell Telescope working in the millimetre wave region, and the Caltech 10.4-metre (34-foot) Submillimeter Array were opened in 1987. The first of the two Keck Observatories was completed in 1992, and the second in 1996. Two 8-metre (26-foot) instruments, the Japanese Subaru Telescope and one of the international Gemini Telescopes, are due for completion in 1999.
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