Hawaii
Explanation:
Aloha!
With the graceful arc of Earth's limb in the background, the
Hawaiian
Island archipelago is visible in
this stunning photo
taken by the astronauts onboard the
shuttle
Discovery in October of 1988.
Along with popular beaches and tropical resorts,
these
volcanic islands offer
extreme elevations with dark, dry, cloudless
skies.
Consequently they have also become popular sites for large and
sophisticated
ground
based telescopes.
The peak of
Mauna Kea,
on the Big Island (upper left), boasts an impressive array
of astronomical instruments including
twin Kecks, the
Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, the
NASA IRTF, the
JCMT and UKIRT, the
Subaru and the
Gemini Telescope Project.
The dormant volcanic cone of
Haleakala
on Maui (just below the Big Island)
is home to the
Air Force
Maui Optical Station and the
Mees Solar Observatory.
Mahalo nui loa!
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
