TMT - Contested Case Hearing Status - Hilo

[Eric1600]

quote:

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Originally posted by gypsy69
Maybe someone could help explain why there are different views or reported numbers to the actual amount of telescopes that are currently atop manna Kea?

I have heard that there are 12, 13, maybe even 22 telescopes are currently operating atop Mauna Kea.

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There are 13 on the mountain, but 12 facilities. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauna_Kea_Observatories

However the protectors have redefined the term "telescope" to mean anything related to a observatory. The Sub-Millimeter Array consists of 8 dishes (https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/sma/), so they count that as 8 more telescopes instead of 1. This is some misunderstanding and exaggeration of how the telescopes work. It continues to be repeated for some reason. It's like saying, "Hey this Keck has 100 independent mirrors, so that's another 100 telescopes."

Here is the spot in the May 2015 "INSIGHTS ON PBS HAWAII - Should the Thirty Meter Telescope Be Built?" Interview where this discussion takes place:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMKgNSb1cE0&t=18m14s

In regards to decommissioning, you don't want construction and decommissioning happening at the same time. That's too much activity and disruption on the mountain. That's why there things are planned not to be in parallel. And what is illegal about having heavy equipment on the mountain?