The Hawaii Board of Land and Natural Resources approved a plan for a US and Canadian university to build the world's largest telescope at the summit of Hawaii's Mauna Kea volcano.
The decision, which was made on Friday, clears the way for the group managing the $1.3 million 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 stars other than the Sun and would enable astronomers to watch new planets and stars being formed. It should also help scientists see about 13 billion light-years away for a glimpse of the early years of the universe.
The University of California system, the California Institute of Technology and the Association of Canadian Universities for Research in Astronomy are leading the project. China, India and Japan have signed on to be partners.
However, some Native Hawaiian groups had petitioned against the project, saying that will tarnish the mountain's sacred summit as many believe the high altitudes are sacred and are a gateway to heaven. In the past, only high chiefs and priests were allowed at Mauna Kea's summit. The mountain is home to one confirmed burial site and perhaps four more.
The decision was big news for UH Hilo, said Jerry Chang, UH Hilo's director of university relations and a former state representative.
"It's for the entire state," Chang said. "It's a billion-dollar project. It's going to affect businesses, bring in a lot of grant money, researchers and astronomers."
