HILO, Hawaii — The University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy is delaying work on an environmental impact statement for a telescope to be situated atop Mauna Kea on the Big Island.

Plans had called for a draft EIS early this year for the Panoramic Survey Telescope And Rapid Response System, better known as Pan-STARRS.
But the institute says the draft will be delayed for a year to 18 months while astronomers focus on fine-tuning the telescope’s prototypes on Haleakala on Maui.
The Pan-STARRS program calls for four powerful digital cameras to rapidly scan the sky to detect large asteroids and comets heading toward Earth. The project would replace a nearly 38-year-old University of Hawaii 88-inch telescope.
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Information from: Hawaii Tribune-Herald, http://www.hilohawaiitribune.com