TMT construction begins Monday 15 July

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

Do telescopes in the southern hemisphere preclude the need for any telescopes in the northern hemisphere?

If you only want to see half the universe.  (Or some percentage less depending on how the southern hemisphere observatories are sited)

[TomK]

Neither ELT nor GMT are in the northern hemisphere where TMT was planned.

Do telescopes in the southern hemisphere preclude the need for any telescopes in the northern hemisphere?

If so, "the" Hawaiians have won, at the cost of the UH astronomy program, jobs, economic diversification, etc.

I forget how many times I have pointed out here that only having large telescopes in the southern hemisphere means they can't observe half of the observable universe. What you wrote was, "The next generation of large ground-based telescopes might never be built." which is clearly untrue.

[MyManao]

Seems as though the NSF is under duress.. I got this email today from them..

Greetings. The U.S. National Science Foundation would like to share the following update, which was recently posted to the Thirty Meter Telescope environmental review website:

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is providing this update to maintain transparency and keep the community informed on the status of the environmental review for the proposed Thirty Meter Telescope. NSF has decided to delay holding "National Historic Preservation Act" Section 106 consultation meetings to allow time to assess how to align this effort with other agency-wide activities. NSF appreciates the commitment of the consulting parties* and will share updates concerning when the Section 106 process may resume.

 

Thank you,
U.S. National Science Foundation

*Parties that have consultative roles in the Section 106 process per 36 Code of Federal Regulations 800.2 and who confirmed their interest in participating in 2024.

[kalakoa]

https://www.civilbeat.org/2025/05/fundin...telescope/

The controversial Thirty Meter Telescope planned for the summit area of Mauna Kea has lost the critically important support of the National Science Foundation, which plans to direct major funding to the Giant Magellan Telescope in Chile instead of TMT.

The Trump administration’s proposed new budget for the NSF suggests pushing ahead with the Magellan project, and says the TMT “will not receive additional commitment of funds from NSF.”

TMT is "unaffordable". Golden Dome is OK, and tax cuts for the wealthy are fine.

[MyManao]

TMT is "unaffordable"

TMT is in a blue state.

[ironyak]

While the 16 states, including Hawaii, that are suing over the NSF cuts are mostly blue, the cuts seem to target almost everything except AI and quantum computing? Maybe more of a "what sciences are useful in furthering my aims" first, and "owning the libs" second?

Golden Dome is OK
But without the TMT, how is the Golden Dome going to shoot down the inbound North Korean missiles they warned us about?

Or crossing the streams slightly - When Golden Dome is finished, will Border Protection even be needed? By then, visitors will have learned to deny themself entry! (And I thought, what a country! ;)

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

The emphasis is now on science that supports the military, and technology which can track, search, and identify.  This was always true to some extent, even more so now.  

Haleakala AMOS had funds for the Star Wars laser tests.  

As someone with a military background once told me when the Hubble space telescope needed repairs - - oh they’ll fix it, you don’t think it’s always looking at stars, do you?

[kalakoa]

When Golden Dome is finished, will Border Protection even be needed?

No, by then the US will be worse than the countries people are trying to escape.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

US will be worse than the countries people are trying to escape.

But, but, we’ll have rid the country of murderers, rapists, drug dealers, and young women who have paid excess baggage fees to the airlines, “the worst of the worst” right?

[ironyak]

Sorry for mixing, blending, and adding a White Russian - back to space, Star Wars Redux, and large shiny domes.