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CFHT General Information

The Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) is a non-profit organization that operates a world class 3.6 meter telescope atop Mauna Kea, a dormant Hawaiian volcano rising 4,200 meters above the Pacific Ocean. The Observatory headquarters are located in Waimea (Kamuela), where CFHT has been part of the community since 1977. The CFHT team of some 50 people includes engineers, technicians, astronomers, and administrators.

CFHT is a joint research facility of:

* National Research Council of Canada (see also NRC Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics),
* Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique of France (see also CNRS/INSU ), and
* University of Hawaii (see also UH/IFA ).

Visiting the Summit

Due to staffing constraints, we are unable to give summit tours to visitors who request them. If you plan on driving to the summit, we recommend reading our downloadable "Driving Safely to the Summit" brochure. It offers practical information and suggestions for planning your trip to the summit. Please keep in mind that the summit of Mauna Kea is almost 14,000ft (~4200m) above sea level. People who suffer from heart conditions, breathing problems, vertigo are discouraged from visiting the summit. Children under the age of 16 and pregnant woman are also advised against visiting the summit. The summit is very isolated, there are no emergency medical facilities of any kind or public services.

If you are interested in visiting Mauna Kea, we suggest you check out the Visitor's Information Station website. They have quite a bit of information about visiting Mauna Kea on their website. They offer guided Saturday afternoon summit tours for visitors who have 4 wheeled drive vehicles. The Subaru telescope offers summit tours as well, reservations must be made in advance on their website. A trip to 'Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawai'i is also highly recommended. They are located in Hilo and they work to combine the science and culture of Hawai'i.


Thank you to UCommunity - UPrinting Sponsorship Program for our upcoming line of Solar System stickers for keiki!