A New Telescopes The Peak Of The Hawaiian Mountain Mauna Kea

Everything You Need To Know About The Thirty Meter Telescope Protests In 2009, a proposal to build a new telescope atop the peak of the Hawaiian Mountain Mauna Kea started what may be the biggest media storm in scientific history, and it has been brewing ever since†¦ What is Mauna Kea? Mauna Kea is a dormant volcano on the island of Hawaii. It has an altitude of 13,976 feet above sea level, the highest of any mountain in Hawaii, and is the tallest mountain in the world when measured from the base below sea level. Roughly translating to â€Å"Sky Father Mountain† in Hawaiian, Mauna Kea culturally represents the â€Å"Realm of the Gods† in Hawaiian lore. It is a sacred ground considered to be where Earth and the gods are connected, the burial ground of many Hawaiian ancestors, and is overall of extreme significance in Hawaiian culture. Why Do Scientists Want to Build A Telescope There? Generally in astronomy, light pollution and thick atmospheres distort and impair images from optics like telescopes. Light pollution crowds out the targets being observed, while the atmosphere dims the light received from them. When choosing the location for the building of a new telescope, it is highly beneficial to build in areas with a thinner atmosphere and low light pollution . This is why mountaintops are typically the preferred sites for new telescopes, and why Mauna Kea is a highly desirable location. A new telescope called the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) is revolutionary in