The history of astronomy is a history of receding horizons. As we improve our optics, our instruments, and our observing techniques, we can reveal progressively more of the Universe than we've ever seen before. As the 2020s dawn on us, we're preparing to jump from 10 meter-class observatories, which are presently the largest in ground-based optical telescopes, to 30 meter-class ones, with approximately thrice the resolution and ten times the light-gathering power.

There's a tremendous suite of cosmic stories to discover, but the only one of the 30 meter-class observatories to be built in the Northern Hemisphere is facing a tremendous controversy that's been decades in the making. What are the next steps towards building the Thirty Meter Telescope?

The latest edition of the Starts With A Bang Podcast features the TMT's vice president for external relations, Dr. Gordon Squires, and you won't want to miss it!

(Image credit: Thirty Meter Telescope Collaboration)