Builders prepare to break ground on giant Hawaiian telescope
FEB 25, 2014
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.027718
Space.com : Construction of the massive Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) is set to begin on Hawaii’s Mauna Kea later this year. Three times as large as any current optical telescope, the TMT will boast a suite of sophisticated instruments, which will be used to investigate astrophysical phenomena, study galaxy evolution, and search for extraterrestrial life. Integral to the telescope’s design are its adaptive optics, needed to counter the distortion caused by Earth’s atmosphere. The project is an international collaboration among institutions in the US, Canada, China, India, and Japan, and the total cost could run as much as $1 billion.
© 2014 American Institute of Physics
