Hawaii’s mild winters rarely signal a time-out for most activities, but the disassembly of the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory atop Mauna Kea is a different matter. Time is running out for removing the telescope in one piece because the site restoration work needs to be done before temperatures get too frigid.

This is the first of five scopes being phased out and removed under current state plans. The controversial Thirty Meter Telescope project, meanwhile? Seems to be on ice, at least for now.