Controversy Over a New Telescope in Hawaii

Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano located on the northern side of the island of Hawaii, is a spectacular sight to behold. Rising 13,796 feet above the surface of the Pacific Ocean, Mauna Kea's snow-capped peak starkly contrasts the tropical climate found at its base. Measured from its base on the ocean floor, Mauna Kea is in fact the tallest mountain on Earth, standing over 30,000 feet tall.

The mountain is prized by astronomers because of it is perhaps the best spot on Earth for astronomical observing. It currently hosts 13 operating telescopes that combined are 60 times more powerful than the Hubble Space Telescope. Clearly, this observation post is very important for the study of astronomy.

Since this is such a great spot to put a telescope, there are plans to continue constructing the Thirty Meter Telescope, a 1.4 billion dollar project that, when completed in 2024, will astronomers to see 13 billion light-years away and observe the formation of galaxies at the beginning of the Universe.

A rendered model of the TMT

However, astronomers have been met by large, viral protests by native Hawaiians who feel that this massive construction project will further impinge on their sacred mountaintop.

Protestors on the mountaintop, at the University of Hawaii, and throughout the world have voiced their opposition to the construction of the TMT. Their protests have questioned scientists' right to appropriate their land to further studies, even though those studies benefit all of mankind. In the meantime, while the protests continue, it is uncertain if the project will be completed on schedule if at all.