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

Context:

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

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.

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. 

• • • 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