HILO>>The giant, twin Gemini telescopes, one on Mauna Kea, the other high in the Andes mountains in Chile, were to be formally linked today by two new forms of the Internet. Mauna Kea, Chile scopes
to be linkedThe giant Gemini telescopes will be
connected by new forms of the InternetBy Rod Thompson
rthompson@starbulletin.comThe linkage turns the two telescopes with 26-foot mirrors into a single "cyber observatory," a Gemini announcement said.
The telescopes, operated by a consortium of seven nations, generate enormous amounts of scientific information, Gemini said.
The two Gemini scopes will use Internet2, a university-led networking research and development consortium, the announcement said. That will cost 10 times less than transmitting the information on the commercial Internet.
The Internet2 will then link to AMPATH, a high performance Internet "Gateway" between North and South America for research and educational networks, led by Florida International University in Miami.
"Gemini South (in Chile) is the first U.S. managed research program in South America to access the Internet2 network infrastructure," said Gemini Director of Operations James Kennedy, who led the Gemini initiative for establishing the new link.
"Now all we are limited by is the speed of light," he said.
Although high quality Internet access for science is available in the United States, sending information across borders is more difficult.
"Getting high-performance networking between countries has been a challenge," said Heather Boyles, Director of International Relations for Internet2, a project of 200 U.S. universities, companies, and research institutions.
Besides linking the telescopes, the new Internet paths link astronomers in the seven participating nations, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, the United Kingdom, and the United States, so they can be "tele-present" in the control room during observations while remaining in their home countries.
The Internet will also link children and teachers.
Gemini management announced a "Star Teacher" exchange program between Hawaii and Chile. Three teachers from the Big Island's sister city La Serena will come to Hawaii and three from Hawaii will go there, each to teach classes via the Internet to their students back home.