During the week of October 2 to 6, a delegation from the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) visited the islands of Tenerife and La Palma. This group were TMT staff devoted to education, communication, science and the development of workforce. They held several meetings with scientific institutions, local government officials, as well as local and regional agencies. The purpose of the visit was to explain the current project status, listen to the local community to understand how TMT might collaborate with them, and expand the relationship between TMT and the people and institutions of La Palma and the Canary Islands.
The team also had the opportunity to visit the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, as well as see the exact location where the TMT would be built if it comes to La Palma. The team also saw the progress on the construction of the Roque de los Muchachos Visitor Center, which is expected to open in 2018.
This week of work reinforces the understanding that La Palma is a solid alternative for the construction of TMT if the project cannot be finally built in Hawaii, and the commitment of TMT to make the project fully viable on the Canary Islands.
