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Mauna Kea Observatories and Telescopes
Information and articles about the space observatories and
telescopes on the top of Mount Mauna Kea on the Big Island
of Hawaii.
Photo Credit: Big Island Visitors Bureau
Mauna Kea Observatories
Information about all of the telescopes
and observatories on top of Mauna Kea. Select from the menu
on the left side of the page to see a telescope list,
summit map, visitor information, and more.
From the Web site of the University of Hawaii,
Institute of Astronomy.
Onizuka Center for International Astronomy
The visitor's center for the Mauna Kea observatories
is named after Ellison S. Onizuka, an astronaut and
resident of Hawaii who was killed on January 28, 1986
when the Challenger Space Shuttle exploded a few
minutes after taking off in Florida.
Caltech Submillimeter Observatory
This 10.4 meter (34 foot) diameter submillimeter
wavelength telescope is located on Mauna Kea
next to the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope.
The Caltech Submillimeter Telescope is operated
by the California Institute of Technology and funded
by the National Science Foundation.
Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope
A 3.6 meter telescope located at the
top of Mauna Kea. It is a Prime Focus
Cassegrain telescope with a diameter
of 3.58 meters.
Gemini Observatory
The Gemini Observatory on Mauna
Kea has an 8 meter telescope built and
operated by a consortium of several
countries including the
Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile,
the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The partnership ismanaged by the
Association of
Universities for Research Astronomy,
which is located in Hilo.
James Clerk Maxwell Telescope
The Maxwell Telescope is a 15 meter submillimeter wavelength
telescope located on the top of Mauna Kea. It is funded jointly
by the United Kingdom, Canada, and the Netherlands and operated
by the
Joint Astronomy Centre.
Keck Observatory
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This observatory includes two Keck
Telescopes, each standing eight stories
tall and weighing 300 tons.
The facility is funded by the
W. M. Keck Foundation and it is operated
by the California Association for
Research in Astronomy.
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NASA Infra Red Telescope
This 3.0 meter telescope is optimized for
infra-red observations and it is operated
by the University of Hawaii, Institute
for Astronomy, and funded by the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Subaru Telescope
An 8.2 meter, optical infra-red
telescope located at the summit
of Mount Mauna Kea. It is funded and operated by the
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan,
Insitutes of Natural Science.
Submillimeter Array
The Submillimeter Array consists of
eight 6 meter radio telescopes, which
explore the universe
by detecting light of colors which
are not visible to the human eye.
It is jointly operated by the Smithsonian
Astrophysical Observatory and the
Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and
Astrophysics.
United Kingdom Infra-Red Telescope
This telescope is dedicated solely to
infrared astronomy and it is owned by
the United Kingdom Particle Physics
and Astronomy Research Council and operated
by the
Joint Astronomy Centre.
Very Long Baseline Array
This is a system of ten radio telescope
antennas, each with a dish 25 meters in
diameter and weighing 240 tons. One of
these telescopes is located on Mount Mauna
Kea and others are located in different
parts of the United States and the
U.S. Virgin Islands.
Mauna Kea Summit Tours
These evening sky viewing tours include
transportation from Kailua-Kona or Waikoloa,
a narrated drive to the top of Mauna Kea,
a stop at the Onizuka Visitor's Center,
dinner at the visitor's center, parkas, gloves,
and a half hour 4-wheel drive to the top.
Activities at the top included a guided tour
of the observatory area, plenty of time for photos.
When the sun goes down, the group descends to a
lower elevation for sky viewing through a portable
telescope, an introduction to the local skies,
and hot drinks. The entire tour lasts about
7 or 8 hours.
See also:
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii
Hawaiian Volcanoes Photo Gallery
Introduction to Hilo Town
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Related Links
Big Island - Main Menu
Hawaii Travel Planner
The Islands of Hawaii
Hawaii Travel Newsletter
Elsewhere on the Web
View of Mauna Kea From Space
Introduction to Mauna Kea
Story About Climbing Mauna Kea
Wikipedia on Mauna Kea
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