Legal battle continues over proposed Thirty Meter Telescope on Hawaii’s Mauna Kea

New York Times : Astronomers and protesters alike are gearing up for the next round in the battle over the proposed construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) on Hawaii’s Mauna Kea. Rising 10 000 m above the seafloor, Mauna Kea is the world’s tallest mountain and the best stargazing site on Earth. However, its peak is sacred to native Hawaiians. Although 13 other telescopes are already located there, the gigantic 18-story TMT would be the largest structure on the island, and according to its opponents, yet another eyesore despoiling the sacred landscape. Over the past two years, the project has been stalled ever since protesters showed up to put a stop to the groundbreaking ceremony. The next round of hearings is scheduled to start in mid-October. However, to ensure that construction on the telescope begins no later than April 2018, astronomers with the TMT International Observatory organization are also considering other sites, such as in Chile and the Canary Islands.