Why should a telescope be built on Mauna Kea?

Due to its light-gathering power and the optimal observing conditions which exist atop Mauna Kea, the TMT would enable astronomers to conduct research which is infeasible with current instruments.

Why the Thirty Meter Telescope should not be built?

The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) should not be built at Mauna Kea, they contend, raising issues of indigenous rights, sovereignty and environmental stewardship. Thirteen telescopes already exist on Mauna Kea, a clear sign of the volcano’s value to astronomers, but Mangauil said protectors want the desecration to end.

Why is there a conflict over the development of the thirty meter telescope on Mauna Kea?

The group Mauna Kea Anaina Hou made several arguments against the development including that Mauna Kea was a sacred mountain to Native Hawaiians where many deities had lived, and that the cinder cone being proposed as the site was holy in Hawaiian tradition as a burial site for a demi-god.

Should TMT be built on Mauna Kea or in the Canary Islands?

The Thirty Meter Telescope lost a potential backup location after a court in the Canary Islands, Spain, revoked an agreement to use public lands as a site for the contentious observatory. Maunakea always has been the preferred site for TMT, because its altitude and latitude make it ideal for viewing the stars.

How much did the Thirty Meter Telescope cost?

“While an exact updated project cost will depend on when and where on-site construction begins for the Thirty Meter Telescope, the latest estimate for the TMT project is in the range of $2.4 billion in 2020 dollars,” Gordon Squires, TMT vice president, said in a statement this week.

Will the 30 meter telescope be built?

Gov. David Ige and the Thirty Meter Telescope International Observatory (TIO) announce that construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) will begin the week of July 15, 2019.

Will the TMT ever be built?

Gordon Squires, vice president of external affairs for the TMT International Observatory, announced on Hawaii News Now Sunrise that construction will probably not happen until sometime after spring or summer of 2021.