39. THIRTY METER TELESCOPE (TMT)

♤ It is a large Ground-based telescope,under construction on Mauna Kea in Hawaii USA.

♤ It is designed for observations from near-ultraviolet tomid-infrared.

♤ Its adaptive optics system will help correct for image blur caused by the atmosphere of the Earth.

♤ In comparison with others, TMT will have highest altitude and will be second largest after E- ELT(European Extremely Large Telescope). If completed on schedule (2020), TMT could be the first of the new generation of Extremely Large Telescopes.

♤ Partner countries - United States, China, Japan ,Canada and India.

♤ India joined TMT project as an observer in 2010 and became partners, with representatives on the TMT board in 2012.In News: Construction of the telescope began on 28 July 2014.