Mauna Kea Observatories
March 24, 2008
The 4,200 meter high summit of Mauna Kea in Hawaii houses the world’s largest observatory for optical, infrared, and submillimeter astronomy. Over a dozen countries have scientific facilities on the summit of the mountain.
There is an amazing collection of twenty webcams at the top of this mountain. In addition to being a terrific collection of cameras, this site has an impressive amount of weather data and a wide range of satellite images of the Pacific Ocean region. Thumbnail below will be helpful in identifying the countries involved in this scientific work.
July 15, 2008 at 8:54 am
The sacred summit also has immense cultural significance, and is the tallest peak in the world.
The piko of the Pacific, Native Hawaiians have made pilgrimage to this wahi pana (sacred place) for thousands of years. Until recently, these pilgrims enjoyed a 350 degree unobstructed viewplane.
While the Mauna Kea observatories have made some significant advancements for modern astronomy, we should not ignore the impact that telescope construction and the leveling of the summit have had on indigenous culture, science, and practice.
It should also be noted that thirteen of the wealthiest countries in the world currently lease the summit for a payment of $1/per year to the people of Hawaii.
July 15, 2008 at 8:58 am
Ack. 360. We can do math, promise.
July 15, 2008 at 9:01 am
Oh, and this is an incredible and super-cool project! Rock on and best wishes to you!