Mauna Kea Telescope Besieged, Board Finds Plan B

One of the biggest telescope projects in the world may be forced to move its location, as the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) ran into opposition in Hawaii, as indigenous groups rallied to reconsider the location, as the site is considered sacred.

With that in mind, the TMT's board is proposing a second site: according to BBC News, they are thinking of the Canary Islands in Spain as an alternative location. The $1.4 billion project could enable experts to study the early Universe, and even take a look into the atmospheres of exoplanets.

The TMT is one of the few large observatories there are, along with the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) and the space-based James Webb telescope, which are all intended to be of use in the field of Astronomy well into the 2020s and beyond.

The opposition of the construction on top of Hawaii's Mauna Kea has existed for decades, as the site is considered the most sacred of all the mountains on the island, with a connection to the Native Hawaiians' deities - and continued development in the area is considered a desecration of sacred lands.

Scientific American noted that Hawaii's state supreme court already nullified TMT's permit in December, so there is no way for the construction to proceed. However, a fresh round of hearings began again, and TMT officials are still seeking a new permit from the state's Board of Land and Natural Resources.

While Mauna Kea still remains as the TMT board's prime site, the path to build the project is narrowing, as the legal battle could drag on for months - and officials wanted to start construction no later than April 2018. However, the second most likely place for the construction is the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos on La Palma. It has existing infrastructure such as a road up the mountain and even dormitories for work crew that made it ideal for the TMT.