HILO » The Joint Astronomy Centre said one of the telescopes it operates in Hawaii is losing the support of its funding agency.

The United Kingdom's Science and Technology Facilities Council has come up with a five-year program that includes a “;managed withdrawal”; from the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope, the center said on its Web site.

The world's largest telescope dedicated solely to infrared astronomy is located near the summit of Mauna Kea on the Big Island.

“;The UKIRT decision is a profound disappointment for everyone associated with the observatory,”; the center said. “;We are working with STFC to define the time scale and the implementation details, and we are also looking at alternative modes of operation. We emphasize that no decision has yet been taken to close the facility.”;

The council also committed to continue operating the neighboring James Clerk Maxwell Telescope until at least 2012, the center said.

“;Although the public announcement does not explicitly state this, continuation of the JCMT beyond 2012 is envisaged and is contingent ... on the astronomical performance of the SCUBA-2 (imaging) instrument,”; JAC said. The SCUBA-2 system is designed to rapidly map large swaths of the night sky.

The JCMT is the largest astronomical telescope in the world designed specifically to operate in the submillimeter-wavelength region of the spectrum. It is used to study the solar system, interstellar dust and gas, and distant galaxies.