The Mauna Kea telescopes and the 1991 solar eclipse

Mauna Kea telescopes (© Gord McKenna/Flickr)

On the eve of the total eclipse of the sun on July 11, 1991, our reporter Nina Morgan describes the preparations made for this event at one of the world’s best observatories, the Mauna Kea telescopes in Hawaii. This eclipse marks the first test of the concept of the Keck telescope lens. using a segmented mirror ten meters in diameter. The Netherlands, Britain and Canada made observations at Mauna Kea using their JCMT telescope.

Reporter: Nina Morgan

Producer: Jonathan Marks

Broadcast: July  8,1991