WHY PIKES PEAK?
Very dry high altitude sites are needed to make measurements in this wavelength range since water vapor is the primary source of attenuation of the cosmic and atmospheric signals under study. Consequently, the best presently utilized site for infrared and sub-millimeter observations is the 13,880 ft summit of Mauna Kea on the island of Hawaii. The inland location, relatively arid climate, and cold temperatures encountered on the 14,000 ft summits of the Front Range in Colorado make them ideal sites for an observatory. Of all continental 14,000 sites, Pikes Peak is unique in having an access road, power, and other infrastructure needed for an observatory development. Since these assets are already in place, such an observatory will have a minimal impact on the environment. Pikes Peak is an isolated mountain with dryer, less cloudy conditions than other high North American mountains. Its relatively low latitude permits better observation of celestial sources in the Southern sky than is p
