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World's largest telescope in Hawaii

 The Big Island of Hawaii's very own Mauna Kea has just been selected as the future site of the Thirty Meter Telescope.  Named after the measurements of one of the mirrors located inside, this telescope will be the largest in the world.

Mauna Kea, a now dormant volcano and a sacred site for Native Hawaiians, is currently the site of 13 different telescopes, not all belonging to the United States, as some belong to the NASA, Japan, and the United Kingdom.  One may wonder why this one site is the home so many different telescopes and the answer is simple: it is one of the best observatory places on the planet.  Mauna Kea is located over 13,000 feet above sea level, and over 32,000 feet from the bottom of the ocean.  When counting from the depths of the sea, Mauna Kea is the highest mountain in the world.

According to University of Hawaii's Institute of Astronomy, the reason Mauna Kea is an observer's oasis is due to the fact that the top of this volcano is 40 percent above the earth's atmosphere, dry, has virtually no interference from city-lights, and has no clouds.   

With 13 other telescopes, why would there need to be yet another built on top of Mauna Kea?  When the new telescope is completed, it will be the most advanced in the world.  According to the website for the Thirty Meter Telescope, this telescope will enable scientists to, "detect and study light from the earliest stars and galaxies, analyze the formation of planets around nearby stars, and test many of the fundamental laws of physics." With the advance technology and location upon Mauna Kea, scientist will be able to observe and study the universe with clarity as if the telescope itself is in space.

The Thirty Meter Telescope, which heralds the new age of science and study, is scheduled to be completed in 2018.

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