Nature: Britain has reached an agreement that will allow UK astronomers continued access to the Gemini Observatory.

In November, the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) announced its intention to withdraw from the observatory — which has 8-metre telescopes in Mauna Kea in Hawaii and Cerro Pachon in Chile — because of a budget shortfall (see insert PT link). Subsequent negotiations to retain access to the Hawaiian telescope failed, raising fears that British astronomers would have no access to a large telescope in the Northern Hemisphere.

But on 27 February the STFC announced that it would remain in the Gemini partnership. It plans to save money by selling a portion of its nearly £4 million (US$7.9 million) annual subscription for telescope time to other interested nations.