Star Trails Above Mauna Kea
Explanation:
Is there a road to the stars?
Possibly there are many, but the
physical road pictured above leads up to the top of a dormant volcano that is
a
premier spot on planet
Earth for
observing stars and astronomical phenomena.
At the top of
Hawaii's
Mauna Kea
are some of the largest optical telescopes on Earth, including the
Keck telescopes,
Gemini,
Subaru,
CFHT, and the
IRTF.
Together, these 10-meter eyes have made many universe-redefining discoveries,
including detailing that most of the universe is made not of familiar matter but
of mysterious
dark matter and
dark energy.
The
above picture was compiled from over 150 one-minute exposures from a
digital camera.
During that time, the
rotation of the Earth
made the stars far in the distance appear to have long
star trails.
The foreground landscape was illuminated by the
Moon.
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.
