At the end of semester 2012A (July 31, 2012), the Keck Interferometer ceased operations. All KI data are publicly available and can be accessed through the Keck Observatory Archive.
Located atop Mauna Kea, Hawaii, the Keck Interferometer (KI) used the world's largest pair of optical telescopes, the Keck Telescopes, to create an interferometer with a sensitivity unmatched by any ground-based instrument of its type. It was operational from March 2001 to July 2012.
Using a nulling technique, KI was used to directly observe dust known as zodiacal dust around nearby stars to provide information about planet formation, and to help plan how to reduce noise from exozodiacal dust for future missions.
The NExScI was responsible for developing and operating the Science Operations System (SOS) for KI - including the program solicitation, user interface and consultation, data infrastructure, and (jointly with WMKO) science operations for KI.
Click here for a bibliography of publications based on KI observations.
More information on KI is also available here: NExScI Support Services for KI.
The NASA Exoplanet Science Institute is operated by the California Institute of Technology, under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under the Exoplanet Exploration Program.
