Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) Project: Indian Delegation Addresses Challenges on Mauna Kea

January 13, 2024

GS Paper III Science and Technology

Context:

Recently, an Indian delegation visited Mauna Kea, situated in Hawaii, USA to address the challenges faced by the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project.

Thirty Meter Telescope

Astronomical Exploration and the Thirty Meter Telescope Project Decision

Mauna Kea is an inactive volcano on the island of Hawaii.
- Mauna Kea Observatories (MKO) comprises various independent astronomical research facilities and large telescopes.
- The location fits the project because of its characteristics: dark skies, absence of light pollution, elevated position, and exceptional astronomical seeing.
- The Indian project partners anticipate a conclusive choice between Mauna Kea in Hawaii and the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (ORM) in the Canary Islands within the next 2 years.

Is Mauna Kea the highest mountain in the world?

The tallest mountain in the world from base to peak is Mauna Kea, a long-dormant volcano in Hawaii, USA.
In total, it is approximately 10,205m (33481 feet) in height, taller than Mount Everest’s 8,849m (29032 feet).
Over half of Mauna Kea is underwater in the Pacific Ocean.

The Role & Advancements of Thirty Meter Telescope in Astronomical Exploration

Thirty Meter Telescope is an extremely large 30-meter optical/infrared telescope.
- Partners: Besides India, it has partners from the USA, China, Japan, and Canada.

India’s Role and Contribution:

India, a partner in Thirty Meter Telescope, supports the development of the 30-meter telescope.
India plans to contribute $200 million worth of hardware, software, and instruments.
India will provide 83 out of the 492 mirrors for the telescope.

- - The Aryabhatta Research Institute for Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital, the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bangalore and the Inter-University Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune are the three main institutes constituting Thirty Meter Telescope-India.
  - Funding: India Thirty Meter Telescope will be jointly funded by the Departments of Science and Technology and Atomic Energy.

Technical Capabilities:

It can collect over 12 times more light than the Hubble space telescope.
- This vastly expands the observational capacity for faint or very distant astronomical objects.

Thirty Meter Telescope’s Pioneering Research Frontiers

Detecting oxygen in exoplanet atmospheres to find evidence of life
Studying dark matter and dark energy
Observing early galaxy formation after the Big Bang
Capturing images of black holes.

Challenges Faced by Thirty Meter Telescope:

Native communities have opposed the construction for cultural and religious reasons.
The project’s substantial water requirements for construction and operation raise concerns about their impact on Mauna Kea’s already scarce water resources.
The Thirty Meter Telescope project has encountered substantial cost overruns, causing concerns about its financial sustainability and ability to adhere to the initially allocated budget.

News source: The Hindu