TMT (the Thirty Meter Telescope) is a collaborative project involving five nations, including Japan, working to build a 30 meter diameter telescope on the summit of Mauna Kea on Hawai’i Island. Preparations are proceeding for construction to begin in 2014 with first light (the first science observations) expected in 2022. With its expected completion on the summit of Mauna Kea and collaboration from existing telescopes, such as NAOJ’s Subaru Telescope; TMT will be the world’s leader in Astronomy during the 2020’s.

Five nations (Japan; the United States of America; Canada; the People’s Republic of China; and the Republic of India) are working together on preparations for the 30 meter optical-infrared telescope. The primary mirror is constructed from 492 mirror segments. Thanks to its large size, TMT will have unpredicted levels of sensitivity and angular resolution. In this drawing of what the completed facility will look like, you can see that the dome also has a unique shape. To minimize the effects of wind on the telescope, the dome opens only in the direction of the celestial object being observed. Japan expects to be responsible for the construction of the telescope frame. Japan also plans to contribute to the production of the primary mirror and observational instruments for the telescope. After construction is completed, promoting collaborative observations with the Subaru Telescope (visible to the immediate left behind TMT in this drawing) will produce cutting-edge astronomy.

(Author: Wako Aoki)