Mauna Kea, Hawaii

Looking out the back windows of our Hilo rental we are able to gaze upon the towering peak of Mauna Kea. On clear days, we can even see the domes of several of the powerful telescopes stationed there. In the Hawaiian spiritual traditions all mountains on the Island are sacred, and Mauna Kea, towering at 13,803 feet above sea level, is considered one of the most sacred. With its high altitude, dry environment, and stable airflow, Mauna Kea's summit is one of the best sites in the world for astronomical observation, and one of the most controversial. Since the creation of an access road in 1964, thirteen telescopes funded by eleven countries have been constructed at the summit. Their construction on a sacred landscape replete with endangered species and ongoing cultural practices, continues to be a topic of debate and protest. Still, many people consider a visit to Mauna Kea a must when visiting the Big Island. The heartiest of visitors who are willing to battle the effects of extremely high elevations have the option of driving, hiking, or traveling with a tour group to the summit, or stopping at 9200 feet at the Onizuka International Astronomy Information Station and Visitors Center. With some of the clearest and darkest night skies anywhere on the planet, the Visitors Center has a nightly stargazing program led by volunteer astronomers using laser pointers to pinpoint and explain the constellations and brightest visible objects in the sky. Telescopes are pointed at various objects in the night sky, including open clusters, globular clusters, double stars, nebulae, planets, galaxies and supernova remnants. Dan and I opted to attend the stargazing program one evening, and timed it so we would be there early enough to watch the stunning into-the-clouds sunset. The temperature at these elevations can get quite cold (it even gets snow at times), as you might have guessed by looking at the pictures below.