 The JCMT sub-mm telescope in the centre | |
| Alternative names | JCMT |
|---|---|
| Named after | James Clerk Maxwell  |
| Part of | Event Horizon Telescope |
| Location(s) | Mauna Kea Observatories, Mauna Kea, Hawaii County, Hawaii |
| Coordinates | 19°49′22″N 155°28′37″W / 19.8228°N 155.477°W |
| Altitude | 4,092 m (13,425 ft) |
| Telescope style | radio telescope |
| Website | www |
  Location of James Clerk Maxwell Telescope | |
 Related media on Commons | |
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The James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) is a submillimetre-wavelength radio telescope at Mauna Kea Observatory in Hawaii, US. The telescope is near the summit of Mauna Kea at 13,425 feet (4,092 m). Its primary mirror is 15 metres (16.4 yards) across: it is the largest single-dish telescope that operates in submillimetre wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum (far-infrared to microwave).[1] Scientists use it to study the Solar System, interstellar dust and gas, and distant galaxies.
The JCMT started operations in 1987, and was funded until February 2015 by a partnership between the United Kingdom and Canada, and the Netherlands. It was operated by the Joint Astronomy Centre and was named in honour of mathematical physicist James Clerk Maxwell. In March 2015 the operation of the JCMT was taken over by the East Asian Observatory. Funding is provided by the National Astronomical Observatory of China, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, and the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics of Taiwan.[2]
The telescope was combined with the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory next to it to form the first submillimetre astronomical interferometer. This success was important driving the construction of the later Submillimeter Array and the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) interferometers.
In recent years the JCMT has also taken part in Event Horizon Telescope observations, which produced the first direct image of a black hole.[3] The JCMT was also involved in the discovery of phosphine, a potential biomarker, in the atmosphere of Venus.[4][5]
- ^ W.S. Holland et al., SCUBA: a common-user submillimetre camera operating on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters Volume 303 Issue 4, Pages 659–672, 2002 doi:10.1046/j.1365-8711.1999.02111.x
- ^ "East Asian Observatory - Hilo, Hawaii". eaobservatory.org.
- ^ "Event Horizon Telescope Captures First Image of Black Hole | Astronomy | Sci-News.com". Breaking Science News | Sci-News.com. Retrieved 2019-04-10.
- ^ Greaves, Jane S.; Richards, A.M.S.; Bains, W (14 September 2020). "Phosphine gas in the cloud decks of Venus". Nature Astronomy. 5 (7): 655–664. arXiv:2009.06593. Bibcode:2021NatAs...5..655G. doi:10.1038/s41550-020-1174-4. S2CID 221655755. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
- ^ Sample, Ian (14 September 2020). "Scientists find gas linked to life in atmosphere of Venus". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 September 2020.