A plan by California and Canadian universities to build the world's largest telescope at the summit of Hawaii's Mauna Kea volcano received approval yesterday.
The decision by the Board of Land and Natural Resources clears the way for the group managing the Thirty Meter Telescope project to negotiate a sublease for land with the University of Hawaii.
The telescope would be able to observe planets that orbit distant stars and let astronomers watch planets and stars being formed.
The telescope's segmented primary mirror, which is nearly 30m long, will give it nine times the collecting area of the largest optical telescopes in use today. Its images will also be three times sharper.
But a group of European countries plans to build the European Extremely Large Telescope, which will have a 42m-long mirror.
Some Native Hawaiian groups had petitioned against the project, arguing it would defile the mountain's sacred summit, while environmentalists said it would harm habitat for the rare wekiu bug.
The board approved the project with two dozen conditions including a requirement that employees be trained in culture and natural resources.
- AP