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Credit & Copyright: STS-26 Crew,
NASA
Explanation:
Aloha!
With the graceful arc of the 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
the Keck,
the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope,
the NASA IRTF,
the JCMT and UKIRT,
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!
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Observatory - Hawaii - space shuttle - telescope
Publications with words: Observatory - Hawaii - space shuttle - telescope
See also: