| The natural sciences, as the name implies, study the | | | | would think that reaching the summit would be |
| phenomenon that occur in nature, and though our | | | | difficult to manage. However, Mauna Kea doesn't |
| knowledge of this grows day by day, we still have | | | | have just height as a key feature. It's what is called |
| limitations in what we know and how we can | | | | a shield volcano, which means that its sides have a |
| observe nature. In the science of astronomy, which | | | | very shallow slope, which makes trucking materials |
| makes a study of the heavens, we're actually limited | | | | and people up to the summit a piece of cake. |
| by the very air in our atmosphere, which helps to | | | | Because of this, building and staffing the Keck |
| diffuse light coming in and interferes with our views | | | | telescopes was an easy thing to do. |
| of space. | | | | In addition to this, despite being a chain of islands |
| But sometimes, nature itself seems to help us around | | | | formed from volcanic activity, the region around the |
| our limitations. The twin Keck telescopes, located on | | | | Mauna Kea is very stable. Also, the lava flows in |
| the dormant volcano Mauna Kea, is an example of | | | | Hawaii tend to be small and manageable, so in the |
| how natural conditions have allowed us to overcome | | | | unlikely event of an eruption, the danger to the Keck |
| limitations we would find almost everywhere else on | | | | telescopes would be minimal. |
| Earth and further the cause of science. There are | | | | The Perfect Location |
| several features that made Mauna Kea the perfect | | | | The beautiful beaches and great weather aren't the |
| site to place the powerful Keck telescopes. | | | | reason the Keck telescopes are located in Hawaii, but |
| Height | | | | the miles of ocean around the Hawaiian Islands are a |
| Mauna Kea is the highest point in Hawaii, but even | | | | good reason to locate a place devoted to |
| beyond that, it's technically the tallest mountain in the | | | | astronomy. Because most of the area around the |
| world. Everest holds claim to the highest elevation, | | | | Hawaiian Islands is ocean, there's less places where |
| but Mauna Kea tops it in size at over 33,000 feet. | | | | cities and towns can be built, which cuts down on |
| While more than half of this is underwater, the | | | | light pollution from street lights, lamps, and so on. |
| remaining bit of mountain above sea level still puts | | | | This means the stars in the sky have less light from |
| this summit observatory where the air is thin and | | | | below to compete with. Little things like this would be |
| where there is very little water vapor in the air. This | | | | difficult to find anywhere else in the world, and |
| means that the Keck telescopes get a view with less | | | | because of this, the Keck telescopes are located in |
| interference from what's in the air than most places | | | | one of the most uniquely perfect regions to study |
| on earth. | | | | the stars in. This is one of the few times where |
| The Lay of the Land | | | | nature itself seems to conspire to help us study the |
| Locating an observatory on a tall mountain is great | | | | universe around us. |
| for avoiding pollution in the atmosphere, but one | | | | |