One of the highlights of our trip to Hawaii, back in October 2013, was the visit to Mauna Kea Observatory. This huge collection of telescopes is at the top of the tallest mountain in the world, measured from its base on the sea floor to the summit. The mountain is an old volcano, hopefully extinct. It should be OK, because the Hawaiian islands are drifting north over a hot spot in the Earth's crust, and have been formed when the hot spot is volcanically active. Hawaii, the big island, is still growing as lava is still flowing from the vents on Mauna Loa, the mountain to the south of the observatory. You can see the results of old eruptions as you drive up the road. The landscape is what you could imagine the Moon or Mars looking like. I had a bit of trouble seeing things at the top because the Oldies kept getting in the way. Fortunately, somebody had put in a line of stakes that I could climb to see over the obstructions. In the picture I am looking towards the largest telescopes in the world (at present; there are bigger ones being built). The most interesting telescope for Dad was Gemini North (top right image). This has a mirror 8m in diameter and started operation in 1999. It is operated by an international combine of astronomers from the USA, Canada, Australia, Chile, Brazil and Argentina. Dad actually had a small part in the program just before he retired. The smaller telescope in the background is operated by a combine of observatories from Canada, France and Hawaii. There is lots to see in Hawaii, and I need to get back there again.
Labels: astronomy, Hawaii, telescopes, volcano
# posted by Bart Bear @ 11:56 am
