The Hawaii Supreme Court has rescinded a permit for the building of one of the world's largest telescopes on the mountain of Mauna Kea, the highest mountain in Hawaii and is a cherished symbol in Hawaiian culture.
Because of the symbolism associated with the mountain in Hawaiian culture, the decision to build the telescope atop became highly controversial, despite the fact that it is considered one of the best places in the world for star gazing.
"Even as far back as the days of the Hawaiian Kingdom, protections have been in place to ensure the continued exercise of traditional Hawaiian rights amidst the pressures exerted by countervailing interests of a changing society," said the court in its ruling.
The telescope itself is a collaboration between China, India, Canada, Japan, and the U.S., and was temporarily blocked in November after its building was challenged by Hawaiian natives who said that the telescope, known as the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT), would damage sacred land.
TMT is one of three massive telescopes set to begin working within the next decade, with the other two being the Giant Magellan Telescope and the European Extremely Large Telescope.
The TMT is a $1.4 billion project, and it has been plagued with issues ever since it was first approved in 2011 for completion in the mid 2020s. It's not yet known what will happen to the plans to build TMT, however the team behind it hopes to continue, even if it cannot build the telescope atop the mountain.
"We thank the Hawaii Supreme Court for the timely ruling and we respect their decision. TMT will follow the process set forth by the state, as we always have," said Henry Yang, Chairman of the Board of Directors at the Thirty Meter Telescope International Observatory. "We are assessing our next steps on the way forward. We appreciate and thank the people of Hawaii and our supporters from these last eight-plus years."
Image: CucombreLibre | Flickr
