Somebody needs to correct a statement that has been repeated so often that it threatens to become fact.

The Canary Islands are not “almost as good” as Mauna Kea for the Thirty Meter Telescope. Mauna Kea offers unparalleled freedom from light pollution and still, clear air that make it by far the finest location in the world for an optical telescope.

But even more important is that Mauna Kea is the only possible TMT site in the Northern Hemisphere. Its location would allow the next generation of instruments to be coordinated into a globe-spanning super-telescope that can produce supremely delicate measurements to answer questions like whether the multiverse really exists.

So whether you’re a Mauna Kea protector or a TMT protector, don’t base your position on the “almost as good” fallacy.

Don Lab

Kalihi

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