About

• Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) is a 30-meter diameter primary mirror optical and infrared telescope being established at Mauna Kea, Hawaii, USA. 
• TMT is a new class of extremely large telescopes that will allow us to see deeper into space and observe cosmic objects with unprecedented sensitivity.

• With its 30 m prime mirror diameter, TMT will be three times as wide, with nine times more area than the largest currently existing visible-light telescope in the world. 
• This will provide unparalleled resolution with TMT images more than 12 times sharper than those from the Hubble Space Telescope.
• Once it is built, the TMT will become the world’s largest ground-based telescope operating at optical and infrared wavelengths, allowing astronomers to study the outer reaches of the universe and study distant stars and exoplanets in much greater detail than is currently possible.

Who is building TMT?

• The Thirty Meter Telescope is being designed and developed by the TMT International Observatory LLC (TIO).
• The TIO is an international collaboration of research institutions and national governments including the USA, Japan, China, India and Canada.
• India is a Founder-Member Partner in this project which aims to open new windows to the universe through optical and infrared astronomy. 

Benefits of TMT

• It will allow astronomers to explore the mysterious period in the life of the universe when the first stars and galaxies were formed.
• One of its key uses will be the study of exoplanets, many of which have been detected in the last few years, and whether their atmospheres contain water vapour or methane — the signatures of possible life.
• TMT will also observe the formation and development of the large-scale structures by looking at faint distant galaxies and the intergalactic medium.
• It has the capability to detect and investigate black holes that reside in the center of many distant galaxies, as well as study in detail the black hole in the center of our own Milky Way.

Why in News?

• An Indian delegation visited Mauna Kea, Hawaii, USA and discussed challenges in the progress of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project and ways to overcome them.