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General Background

• What is TMT?

The TMT, or Thirty Meter Telescope, will be the world’s most advanced and capable telescope.  It will have the ability to study objects too faint or too distant to observe with existing facilities, and be a key tool for answering many of the most compelling and important questions in all of science.

The telescope’s primary mirror, the core technology of TMT, will measure 30 meters in diameter and be made up of 492 individual segments.  This exquisitely precise mirror will enable TMT to achieve better resolution and light-gathering power than any observatory to date.

• Who is proposing this new telescope?

The U.S. scientific community identified the critical need for a telescope with a 30-meter primary mirror in the 2001 Decadal Survey for astronomy by the U.S. National Research Council.  It is also a priority of the Canadian Long Range Plan for Astronomy.  The TMT Observatory Corporation, a non-profit company, was formed to manage initial project planning, and then design, build, and operate the Thirty Meter Telescope.

The Thirty Meter Telescope project is a partnership of:

• University of California (UC);
• California Institute of Technology (Caltech); and
• Association of Canadian Universities for Research in Astronomy (ACURA)
• Which sites are being considered for the proposed telescope?

A worldwide survey to select the best locations for astronomy research has narrowed the number of potential sites to two: Cerro Armazones in Chile's Atacama Desert and Mauna Kea on Hawai'i Island.  Each of the candidate sites has conditions that are essential to astronomy: very clear skies, very stable atmospheric conditions above the mountaintop, and low humidity.

• Where would the telescope be located if built on Mauna Kea?

The 2000 Mauna Kea Science Reserve Master Plan identified the preferred location for the next generation optical/infrared telescope as the 36-acre area identified as “Area E” on the northern plateau.  The northern plateau is a relatively flat lava flow plateau below the summit ridge cinder cones.  Area E is a portion of the northern plateau that is within the Astronomy Precinct and is situated approximately one-half mile northwest and roughly 500 feet below the existing observatories on the summit ridge.

The TMT fits the description of next generation optical/infrared telescope envisioned when the 2000 Master Plan was prepared.  If located on Mauna Kea, the TMT would be located within Area E.  The actual size, shape, and location of the TMT observatory facilities within Area A have not been determined, and the design of the facilities on Mauna Kea remains conceptual.  The design will be developed with input from the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) studies on ways to minimize cultural, environmental, and visual impacts.  It is estimated that the TMT observatory will occupy an approximately 4 acre area.

View an illistration of location site. [pdf / 573kb]

Potential Impact of TMT

• Would locating the TMT on Mauna Kea affect native Hawaiian cultural practices?

The issues surrounding cultural practices and the sacredness of Mauna Kea are very important, and the TMT is working with the local community to minimize the cultural impacts of this project.

As part of the Environmental Impact Statement and the State Historic Preservation process, the TMT will complete an Archaeological Inventory Survey that will include appropriate measures to minimize the historical and cultural impact of the project.

The University of Hawai'i is developing a Comprehensive Management Plan (CMP) for Mauna Kea (http://www.maunakeacmp.com/), which will also assemble information on cultural and historic resources.  TMT will comply with applicable requirements set forth in the CMP to provide for the preservation of both cultural resources and practices.

• Would locating the TMT on Mauna Kea have adverse affects on the mountain environment?

All possible measures will be considered to minimize the impact of building and operating the telescope on the environment and habitats of Mauna Kea.

The summit of Mauna Kea contains habitat for the Wēkiu bug (Nysius wekiuicola), a candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and certain species of lichens and ferns.  At Hale Pōhaku, where a construction baseyard could be located, the palila (Loxiodes bailleui), an endangered bird listed under the ESA; māmane (Sophora chrysophylla), a native tree that is the primary food source of the palila; and Hawai‘i catchfly (Silene hawaiiensis), a threatened shrub listed under the ESA, may be present.

Among other things, potential impacts on biological resources will be evaluated in the Draft EIS. Impacts of both the observatory structures and associated ancillary facilities will be considered, including construction staging areas, access roads, and other areas within the zone of construction.

The management of environmental resources on Mauna Kea will be addressed in the forthcoming CMP.  The TMT will comply with requirements set forth in the CMP.

Planning Process

• What is the environmental review process?

Any project in Hawai`i proposed by a state agency or on state land is subject to Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) Chapter 343.  The Thirty Meter Telescope is considering a location within the Astronomy Precinct of the Mauna Kea Science Reserve, on conservation land leased to the University of Hawai`i.  Thus the TMT project is subject to HRS Chapter 343.

TMT will comply with HRS Chapter 343 by preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to assess potential impact the project could have on the environment.

The EIS process will begin with an EIS Preparation Notice, followed by a number of public meetings, both on Hawai`i Island and on O‘ahu.  The comments, issues, and suggestions from these meetings and written scoping comments will be addressed in the Draft EIS for the TMT project.

After completion of the Draft EIS, another series of public meetings will be held to gather comments on the Draft EIS.  Written comments will also be solicited.  All written and oral comments will be considered and responded to during the development of the Final EIS.

The Final EIS will be submitted to the University of Hawai’i Board of Regents for approval, then to the Governor.  The Governor has 30 days to approve the document.  If it is approved, there is a 60-day legal challenge period.  The Final EIS will then be submitted to the Department of Land and Natural Resources as a part of the Conservation District Use Application (CDUA).

An EIS is not, in itself, a permit or authorization.  It is a statement of environmental facts and provides information that can aid in deciding whether to grant a permit or aid in preparing any conditions that are placed on a permit, such as a Conservation District Use Permit (CDUP).

• How can I voice my opinion concerning the construction of the TMT on Mauna Kea?

TMT has an ongoing plan to actively solicit community concerns and seek broad input on Mauna Kea siting and design options.

The “scoping” process for the telescope Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) officially opened with the publication of the EIS Preparation Notice (EISPN) / Environmental Assessment (EA) on September 23, 2008.  The availability of the EISPN/EA for review was announced in the Office of Environmental Quality (OEQC) Environmental Notice.  The 30-day scoping period will be the first opportunity to voice your opinion concerning the proposed telescope.  Public meetings will be held during the scoping period; the schedule for these meetings is provided below.  Time will be allotted at these meetings for the public to present their perspectives.  The 30-day scoping period will end on October 23, 2008.  The public can to submit comments using this website during the comment period.

Public Scoping Meeting Schedule:

1. Hawī, Oct. 6 (Mon), Kohala High School Cafeteria, 5-8pm
2. Waimea, Oct. 8 (Wed), Kahilu Town Hall (Waimea Family YMCA), 5-8pm
3. Kona, Oct. 9 (Thr), Kealakehe Elementary School Cafeteria, 6-9pm
4. Ka'ū, Oct. 13 (Mon), Ka'ū High/Pahala Elementary School Cafeteria, 5-8pm
5. Hilo, Oct. 14 (Tue), Keaukaha Elementary School Cafeteria, 6-9pm
6. Puna, Oct. 15 (Wed), Pahoa High School Cafeteria, 5-8pm
7. Honolulu, Oct. 16 (Thr), Neal S. Blaisdell Center Pīkake Room, 5-9pm

Comments received during this “scoping” process must be addressed in the Draft EIS.

Additional opportunities to voice your opinion will be available during the Draft EIS comment period.

• Who determines if the telescope can be built on Mauna Kea?

The final decision to issue a permit will be made by the Board of Land and Natural Resources.  The key decision they will make is whether to approve the Conservation District Use Permit (CDUP) for this project.

• Why is TMT starting its planning process prior to the Comprehensive Management Plan (CMP) being complete?

The TMT planning process is timed to follow the completion of the CMP process.  It is expected that the CMP will provide guidelines and recommendations for managing Mauna Kea, including appropriate management of the observatories.  The Draft EIS will not be submitted until after the CMP has been accepted by the Board of Land and Natural Resources.

The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the telescope will discuss how the project will comply with the requirements established by the adopted CMP.

Facts and Rumors

• Why the Thirty Meter Telescope?

This telescope would take advantage of technological advances made since the construction of the current generation of eight and ten meter telescopes.  The size of the primary mirror and other technological advances would allow the TMT to make observations of fainter objects and with resolution many times greater than that of the Hubble Space Telescope.  The TMT would be capable of investigating a broad range of questions, including the search for life on planets outside our solar system, the physics of planet and star formation, and how the very first galaxies form and evolved.

• Is there any military connection to TMT?

No.  The TMT is a purely scientific endeavor, and managed entirely by the university partners. There is no connection at all to the military.

• How large will the dome of TMT be?

TMT will utilize the latest engineering techniques to reduce the dome size.  Although the TMT’s primary mirror diameter is three times the diameter of the Keck primary mirror, the TMT dome will not be three times the size of the Keck dome.  Considerations of ways to lessen the visual impact of the telescope will be part of the final design.  The TMT’s location on the northern plateau will also shield it from view from much of the island.

Stay Informed

• Where can I find more information regarding the CMP for Mauna Kea?

A website has been developed specifically to provide information to the public about the Comprehensive Management Plan (CMP) for Mauna Kea: http://www.maunakeacmp.com/.

• Where can I find more information on the TMT?

The TMT Observatory Corporation has its own website: http://www.tmt.org/