The Associated Press quoted Christophe Dumas, head of operations for the Thirty Metre Telescope, as saying that it would be more than 200 times more sensitive than current telescopes, and would be able to resolve objects 12 times better than the Hubble Space Telescope. The larger the mirror, the more light a telescope can collect, which means, in turn, that it can “see” farther, fainter objects. “Thirty Metre” refers to the the 30-metre diameter of the mirror, with 492 segments of glass pieced together, which makes it three times as wide as the world’s largest existing visible-light telescope. The telescope is being built by an international collaboration of government organisations and educational institutions, at a cost of $1.4 billion. READ | Construction of world’s largest telescope in Hawaii gets green signal After a Supreme Court order recently cleared construction of the newest one, called the “Thirty Metre Telescope”, locals blocked access to the roads last week, leading to several arrests.
Already the site of a number of observatories and 13 large telescopes, Mauna Kea is considered sacred by native Hawaiians who believe that such constructions defile the mountain. Last week, Hawaii saw protests against plans to start construction of a giant telescope atop Mauna Kea, the US state’s highest mountain at 14,000 feet. Carlberg said, adding that this week's ruling gives political leaders in Hawaii an opportunity to improve management of Mauna Kea "for the benefit of all Hawaiians.“Thirty Metre” refers to the the 30-metre diameter of the mirror, with 492 segments of glass pieced together, which makes it three times as wide as the world’s largest existing visible-light telescope. "Many will not want to guarantee money until they know that the telescope has the support of the local community and that ongoing safe access to the site is not an issue," Dr. In addition to its legal issues, the TMT faces growing costs as a result of delay. In May, the panel recommended continued, if cautious, support for TMT while the legal battle over the Mauna Kea site plays out. The move sparked a debate within the Canadian astronomical community and led to the panel chaired by Dr. Carlberg was removed from the TMT board after writing an open letter to colleagues suggesting that Canada should reconsider its membership in the project. "The decision does not mean that the hard-core opposition has melted away."ĭr. "Basically, TMT is back where it was in 2014, with a permit in hand but with people waiting in the wings to blockade," Dr. HONOLULU Hawaiis governor on Tuesday rescinded an emergency proclamation put in place to deal with native Hawaiian protesters who are blocking a road to prevent the construction of a giant. Ray Carlberg, a University of Toronto astronomer and former TMT board member, said the project still faces hurdles including a potential Supreme Court challenge. In her 305-page decision, Judge Amano noted that the construction of the existing observatories on Mauna Kea had "cumulative impacts on cultural, archeological and historic resources," but that the proposal for TMT "reasonably protects identified Hawaiian rights and practices" provided certain condition are followed including a cultural training program for construction workers and contractors, the development of an archeological monitoring plan, and policies to limit vehicle trips to the summit. 18 July 2019 Hawaii telescope protest shuts down 13 observatories on Mauna Kea Construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope was supposed to start on 15 July. Several months of hearings followed, during which a coalition of opponents voiced their objections to the telescope. The Supreme Court of Hawaii invalidated the TMT's building permit in 2015 and remanded the case back to the state's Board of Land and Natural Resources. After a blockade prevented construction crews from reaching the mountain in 2015, Hawaii Governor David Ige imposed a temporary moratorium on the project. Mauna Kea is our strongly preferred site and this brings us one step closer to construction on that site," said Michael Balogh, an astrophysicist at the University of Waterloo who led a report this year on the impact to Canadian astronomy if the TMT is not built in Hawaii.įollowing its approval in 2013, plans for TMT went awry the following year when a groundbreaking ceremony was interrupted by protests.
Astronomers hoping to avoid a scenario that would see the TMT built at a less desirable location in the Canary Islands were buoyed by Wednesday's ruling from Judge Riki May Amano, the hearing officer for the case. What is TMT The Thirty Meter Telescope is one of a new class of extremely large telescopes that will allow us to see deeper into space and observe cosmic objects with unprecedented sensitivity and detail.
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