Mauna Kea Observatories | Photo © Richard Wainscoat

Stargazing from Mauna Kea, Hawaii
Aired on PRI’s The World on August 18, 2005

Geo Quiz Question:

We’re searching for a mountaintop that astronomers from all over the world love to go to. Many consider it to be the best place on earth for astronomy.  The world’s largest telescope is also located there.

Recently, this site played a key role in NASA’s Deep Impact mission in July.  That’s when NASA accomplished an amazing feat by releasing a space probe so it could collide with a comet, in hopes of better understanding the origins of the solar system.

But long before astronomy ever took hold here, this was and still is considered a sacred place.  Here’s an extra hint…  it’s very remote and surrounded by lots of water.

Geo Quiz Answer:

The mountain peak we’ve been searching for is located in the middle of the Pacific Islands.  It’s called Mauna Kea on the island of Hawaii.  And it’s become the world’s largest center for astronomy attracting international teams of scientists from around the globe.  The area is managed by the University of Hawaii.

And what makes this site even more unusual, is that Mauna Kea is actually a dormant volcano.  Heidi Chang takes you all the way to the summit.

Listen to the Story

Mauna Kea | Photo Credit © Richard Wainscoat

Click on images to enlarge 

The two telescopes of the W.M. Keck Observatory | Photo © Richard Wainscoat

Mauna Kea Observatories viewed from the East | Photo © Richard Wainscoat

Interviews:
University of Hawaii Astronomy Professor Alan Tokunaga
Johns Hopkins University Astrophysicist Carey Lisse
Yoshiaki Taniguchi teaches astronomy at Japan’s Tohoku University
Native Hawaiian Kealoha Pisciotta

Related

Mauna Kea Observatories
University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy