TMT Work to Resume Says Ige!

[beepbeep]

I am glad to see explanation here that different telescopes do different things...they are not interchangeable parts.

But there are many astronomers who respect Mauna Kea's cultural significance...more than the people who litter there and dump junk there...and would not want to see it covered with telescopes, although that would be a boon to science.

Chile, of course, is in the Southern Hemisphere and Mauna Kea is in the Northern Hemisphere so the sites are not interchangeable.

I think the telescopes already on MK should remain there and the new one that has been approved should be built. It would be nice to see something up there to mark the cultural significance of Mauna Kea and perhaps a cultural center could be built near where the visitor's center is? Beyond that, perhaps that should be the end of building if that is the best way to honor the space (without throwing away expensive scientific investments already there which are benefiting all mankind's search for knowledge) ... regarding that, I cannot say, but it should be discussed with full and clear explanations of the science, potential discoveries, and how this kind of knowledge has benefited and will continue to benefit mankind, which includes Hawaiians.

Pam in CA