SCUBA-2: a new generation submillimeter imager for the James Clerk Maxwell telescope

We present an update on the progress of SCUBA-2: a new, wide-field submillimetre camera for the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope. With over 12,000 pixels, in two arrays, SCUBA-2 will be able to map the submillimeter sky 1000 times faster than the current SCUBA instrument on the JCMT to the same signal-to-noise. All areas of astronomy are expected to benefit: from studies of galaxy formation and evolution in the early Universe to understanding star and planet formation in our own Galaxy. Due on the telescope in early 2006, SCUBA-2 will also act as a "pathfinder" for the new generation of submm interferometers (e.g. SMA and ALMA). Some of the exciting science prospects and challenging technology are described in the poster.