Hawaii – Protest against the largest telescope in the world

This is what the planned giant telescope on the Hawaiian volcano Mauna Kea should look like. It opens up completely new possibilities for researchers. (picture alliance/dpa/TMT Observatory Corporation)

Are the protests an issue at the World Congress?

There are no official lectures on this, and the International Astronomical Union expressly refrains from commenting. But of course the topic is present everywhere. There is a lot of discussion regarding it, and while the name of the telescope was not mentioned at the opening ceremony on Monday, almost all speakers alluded to the current situation. Every now and then, individual demonstrators in front of the congress center remind people of the conflict.

What are the protesters regarding?

A minority of Native Hawaiians oppose the construction of the 100-foot telescope on Maunakea volcano. This is the highest mountain in Hawaii and there are some spiritually significant sites there, including some burial sites. There are already a good dozen telescopes on the mountain, some very small, others are among the largest optical telescopes in the world. The 30-meter telescope will tower far above everyone: The building is said to have a diameter of almost 70 meters and be 60 meters high. Now some think that is much too big for the holy mountain.

Is the accusation justified?

The telescope will be the largest in the world. This is going to be really huge. It’s a bit irritating that the protests are only now coming. From the initial planning seven years ago to now, there have been countless discussions between all those involved, many committees have been dealing with the influence on nature of the mountain, but also with the cultural consequences. Many points were clarified – the building was originally supposed to be even bigger. But due to local objections, it is now becoming as small as possible. Why the opponents are suddenly appearing so vehemently is not entirely clear to many. In the end it’s probably regarding astronomy, but above all regarding political dissatisfaction with the position of the Hawaiians. The telescope is a good means of expressing protest that is visible from afar.

How important is the instrument to astronomers?

30 meters in diameter are gigantic. So far, the top telescopes have been up to 10 meters in diameter. The reflecting surface of the new telescope is nine times larger. It will look out into space much, much sharper and more sensitive than any other instrument – and thus advance all areas of astronomy. The telescope is particularly important for studying the most distant galaxies and first stars in space, for observing how stars are formed or what exactly happens in the vicinity of black holes. It is an international project, not purely American, with strong participation from China, India, Japan and Canada.

Could the protests stop the construction of the telescope?

Since April there have been protests on the only road that leads to the volcano. Since then, construction has been suspended. Apart from some preparatory work, nothing has happened yet. Legally, the situation is clear: since May 2014, the state of Hawaii has had a building permit. There is only one sore point: The area on the volcano where the telescopes are located has been leased from the state by the University of Hawaii. The university then subcontracts to the various institutions that want to build telescopes there. The university’s lease expires following 65 years in 2033. Of course, if the 30-meter telescope is to work properly, this contract must be extended by at least 20 years. Whether and when this will happen is currently completely open. That’s the legal side. Politically it may look very different.

How much political explosiveness is in the protests?

That can hardly be estimated. The governor of Hawaii said at the opening on Monday that they wanted an amicable solution and that it was time to talk and listen to each other. Many in the Teleskop team found that somewhat inappropriate, because this is exactly what they have been doing for seven years. The fact that the governor has already suggested dismantling other instruments for the thirty-meter telescope does not deter the astronomers. Because the lease agreement stipulates that all telescopes must be dismantled following their scientific use. The individual teams also put money aside for this. There should be no observatory ruins on the mountain. Some here think that all trouble will be over in a few months. Others, and some of them are politically very experienced, sometimes ask whether there are alternative locations.

Could the telescope be built somewhere else?

That seems almost impossible at the moment. They recently had a mountain in Chile and Maunakea in the running. Then they decided on Maunakea and Europe’s large telescope ELT is now being built on the mountain in Chile. None of those directly involved want to think regarding giving up this excellent location on the 4,000 meter high mountain.