Astronomy in Hawaii
Astronomy in Hawaii offers many enchanting night-time diversions. One fun thing, is to go to the Mauna Kea Observatory, which has the biggest telescope in the world. Because of the idyllic conditions for star watching at the top of Mauna Kea, including low humidity and low light from the nearby populated areas, Astronomy in Hawaii is an international cooperation between several countries, including the United States, Japan, Canada, France, and Chile. 
The trip up to the Observatory is magical in itself. Starting at sea level you head up the mountain. As you look back you can see all of Hilo behind you getting smaller and smaller as your view of the ocean grows more and more panoramic. Before you know it, you are above the clouds and looking down at the cloud-tops. 
At this point, the mountain begins to look like a desert, and the temperature drops dramatically. Warning! Don’t go up the mountain, higher than the visitor Center in the winter unless you have checked road conditions first, by calling 808-974-4203. There may be ice, snow, or other dangerous weather conditions you should know about. Also, do not go higher than 9200 feet if you have health problems, or are younger than 16 years old. The reason is, the lack of oxygen at high altitudes can be dangerous. It is also recommended that you do not visit the summit of the mountain within 24 hours of scuba diving. When you get to the observatory you will first see a movie about astronomy in Hawaii, the Observatory, and its controversial presence on the summit of Mauna Kea....which is sacred to the Hawaiian People. Astronomers will answer your questions, and then you can look through the smaller telescopes at the night-time sky. They will point out stars, star clusters, constellations, double stars, nebulas, planets, galaxies, supernovas, and more. If you are lucky, you may see the Southern Cross, which is visible only for a short time each year in the northern hemisphere. The astronomers have been known to try and trick people into thinking they can see the US flag on the moon......Hah! Everybody knows that the astronauts landed on the dark side of the moon! Here is the phone number for the Mauna Kea Observatory Visitors Center: 808-961-2180. Or, check out the
official website
for the Observatory. This site is a growing thing. Come back soon to read more about other topics having to do with Atronomy in Hawaii. Such as:
My Dad's story of working at the top of Mauna Kea Leave Astronomy in Hawaii and go to Magical Hawaii Home Page
|
