The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) proposed for construction on Mauna Kea is something the people of Hawaii should support. It would keep the astronomical facilities in Hawaii at the forefront of research capabilities for decades to come.
Other telescopes of similar large size have been proposed, and some will likely be built, but this is the only one proposed for the northern hemisphere, so it would be able to observe parts of the sky not visible at other proposed sites.
The TMT would produce images 10 times as sharp as those produced by the Hubble Space Telescope and allow us to see objects farther away that formed closer to the origin of the universe.
For decades, Mauna Kea has been recognized as one of the best locations on Earth for astronomical observing. The University of Hawaii is guaranteed a share of the available observing time on all of the Mauna Kea telescopes. This gives UH a great advantage and helps attract many of the world’s leading astronomers to Hawaii along with the grant money they secure.
The UH Institute for Astronomy’s yearly budget is $20 million, including $15 million in federal grants.
Some groups, mainly indigenous Hawaiians, have objected to Mauna Kea being used for telescopes without much benefit coming to the local community.
Some people hear about the high cost per hour of observing time and think that some mysterious strangers are getting rich by selling telescope time to astronomers. That’s not how it works.
Various institutions fund the construction of the telescopes on Mauna Kea. Astronomers get grants to cover expenses, such as observing time and the production and maintenance of scientific instruments used on the telescopes. Nobody is getting rich by selling telescope time. However, we are all enriched by the discoveries that such facilities enable.
The proponents of the TMT have wisely taken into account local concerns and have offered many significant benefits to the people of Hawaii. These include much higher lease rent than is paid by other telescopes, a $1 million-per-year contribution to a fund that would promote local science and technology education through scholarships and program development, and a workforce pipeline program to develop and recruit local students for employment by TMT.
These funds will begin flowing when construction starts and will continue for the duration of TMT’s lease.
The TMT group has also worked hard to select a location with no impact on living organisms or cultural artifacts. The facility also will be built to minimize its visual impact from other parts of the island.
Astronomy is an endeavor in which Hawaii is truly a world leader. The TMT will help continue that tradition, as well as encourage and assist local youth to develop skills that will allow them to have good jobs here in Hawaii.
Hawaiian and other Polynesian sailors were able to cross the vast Pacific hundreds of years before Europeans had such capabilities, due in large part to their understanding of the night sky. It would be wise to continue leading the world in deepening this knowledge.
For these and other reasons, the Hawaiian Astronomical Society board of directors and I strongly support allowing construction of the TMT.
