About Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT):
- It has been conceived as a 30-metre diameter primary-mirror optical and infrared telescope that will enable observations into deep space.
- It is proposed as a joint collaboration involving institutions in the S., Japan, China, Canada, and India.
- It will be the world’s most advanced and capable ground-based optical, near-infrared, and mid-infrared observatory.
- It will integrate the latest innovations in precisions control, segmented mirror design, and adaptive optics.
- At the heart of the telescope is the segmented mirror, made up of 492 individual segments. Precisely aligned, these segments will work as a single reflective surface of 30m diameter.
- Location: Mauna Kea, an inactive volcano on the island of Hawai’i in the United States.
Indian contribution
- India expects to be a major contributor to the project and will provide;
- hardware (segment support assemblies, actuators, edge sensors, segment polishing, and segment coating), instrumentation (first light instruments),
- software (observatory software and telescope control systems) worth $200 million
- The Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIAP) is leading the consortium of Indian institutions that are involved with the TMT project.
- India TMT will be jointly funded by the Departments of Science and Technology and Atomic Energy.
