Thirty Meter Telescope

TMT: Astronomy's Next Generation Observatory

TMT in Hawaii

Site Information

In July 2009, the board of directors of the TMT Observatory Corporation selected Mauna Kea as the preferred site for the Thirty Meter Telescope. more»

Fast Facts

Fast Facts for Astronomers

The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) 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. more»

The Science Case

Science with a 30-Meter Telescope

A 30-meter telescope is an essential tool to address questions in astronomy. more »

Recent News

TMT Releases Public Database of its Site Testing Campaign

01.05.2010

The Thirty Meter Telescope Project is launching a new database containing five years of atmospheric data from the telescope’s initial five candidates sites: Cerro Tolar, Cerro Armazones, and Cerro Tolonchar, Chile; San Pedro Martir, Mexico; and Mauna Kea, Hawaii, the site selected for TMT. A website containing the entire dataset, the largest of its kind, will be released free-of-charge to the public today. more »

New Video Showcases Excitement and Promise of TMT

12.08.2009

In a new video, astronomers Richard Ellis, the Steele Professor of Astronomy at Caltech, and Andrea Ghez, professor of physics and astronomy at UCLA, explain how TMT will push the boundaries of astronomy and allow us to study the Universe with unprecedented clarity and precision. more »

China Joins Thirty Meter Telescope Project

11.17.2009

The National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC) has joined the Thirty Meter Telescope Project (TMT). As an Observer, China will participate in planning the development of what will be the world's most advanced and capable astronomical observatory. more »

TMT On the Air with Are We Alone?

09.14.2009

The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) is partnering with the SETI Institute's radio/podcast program Are We Alone? by underwriting a series of astronomy-related segments during the year. Learn more and listen here. more »

Thirty Meter Telescope Selects Mauna Kea

07.21.2009

After careful evaluation and comparison between two outstanding candidate sites—Mauna Kea in Hawai‘i and Cerro Armazones in Chile—the board of directors of the TMT Observatory Corporation has selected Mauna Kea as the preferred site for the Thirty Meter Telescope. more »

Mysteries of the Cosmos: TMT Partners with Caltech, DISCOVER Magazine, and the National Science Foundation

05.07.2009

To help launch the International Year of Astronomy, TMT and Caltech co-hosted "Mysteries of the Cosmos"—the second in the DISCOVER/NSF "Great Questions in Science" events, which was held on Jan. 30 in Caltech's Beckman Auditorium. The videos from that event are how available on the DISCOVER Magazine website here. more »

Site Search

Podcasts

Aloha Astronomy

09.28.2009

From Mauna Kea in Hawaii, the view of the cosmos is spectacular…

Seeing Stars and Planets

09.14.2009

It’s hot, too darn hot! And bright, too darn bright! But over-the-top photon flux doesn’t stop scientists from studying the sun…

Upcoming Events

TMT Science Advisory Committee Meeting

January 27–28, 2010

TMT Board of Director’s Meeting

February 1–2, 2010