There is the potential to examine these planets for signs of life beyond the Earth: this would be one of the most important discoveries of all time," the website says. "In the nearby universe, with TMT, astronomers will be able to discover and characterize, in detail, planets orbiting stars other than the Sun. The telescope will allow astronomers to reach back 13 billion years to answer fundamental questions about the advent of the universe, touts a website for the project. Scientists revere the mountain for its summit above the clouds that provides a clear view of the sky with very little air and light pollution. A second attempt to restart construction a few months later ended with more arrests and crews retreating when they encountered large boulders in the road. Construction stopped in April 2015 after 31 protesters were arrested for blocking the work. After that, the protests intensified and divided the community, with some Native Hawaiians saying they were afraid to publicly support the project. Protests disrupted a groundbreaking and Hawaiian blessing ceremony at the site in 2014.
HAWAII TELESCOPE PROJECT SERIES
The project won a series of approvals from Hawaii, including a permit to build on conservation land in 2011. Plans for the project date to 2009, when scientists selected Mauna Kea after a five-year, around-the-world campaign to find the ideal site for what telescope officials said "will likely revolutionize our understanding of the universe." Opponents and supporters have been awaiting the ruling because it was expected to help determine whether the project is built in Hawaii or moves to a backup location in Spain's Canary Islands that's less desirable to scientists hoping to use the instrument for groundbreaking discoveries.
Supporters say it will bring educational and economic opportunities to the state. Opponents say the telescope will desecrate sacred land on the Big Island. The court ruling Tuesday is a victory for the contentious Thirty Meter Telescope planned for Hawaii's tallest mountain, Mauna Kea.
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