Assignment task:
Mauna Kea on the "Big Island" of Hawai'i is technically the tallest mountain in the world (if measured from its base at the bottom of the ocean). The summit is usually above the clouds, and the air is extremely dry, both of which make it an ideal location for astronomy. It is the site of 12 facilities (13 telescopes), including some of the largest telescopes in the world (the twin Keck 1 and Keck 2 telescopes), and the proposed location of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT). However, the mountain is also a sacred site to the native Hawaiians (kanaka ?oiwi), and the Thirty Meter Telescope project has been the subject of intense debate that is not yet settled.
DISCUSSION PROMPT: Follow the short articles and then post your response to this question: Should the TMT project move forward on Mauna Kea or should it be moved to its secondary (but not ideal) site on the Canary Islands?