Spain bids €400M to host mega telescope at risk in US budget cuts
9 months ago
- #astronomy
- #Spain
- #telescope
- The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) may relocate from Hawaii to La Palma, Spain.
- The US government has withdrawn support for TMT, cutting NSF funding.
- Spain has pledged €400 million to host TMT in La Palma.
- Spanish Science Minister Diana Morant submitted a formal proposal to the TMT board.
- TMT's 30-meter mirror would surpass current optical telescopes, offering unprecedented cosmic resolution.
- La Palma is a backup site if construction on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, stalls.
- La Palma's lower altitude (2,250m vs. Mauna Kea's 4,050m) may affect observation quality.