Rising above the postcard perfect beaches of Hawaii’s Big Island, looms Mauna Kea, or White Mountain, the world’s tallest island-mountain measured from the ocean floor. At an elevation of 13,796ft above sea level, this dormant volcano will take your breath away literally and figuratively.
While the geological history of Mauna Kea is fascinating, I was more interested in the atmospheric and astronomical aspects that this mountain offers. The extremely dry atmosphere on Mauna Kea makes for an excellent location for astronomy observatories and general sky watching. Far below the summit exists a tropical inversion cloud layer. By ascending the mountain to the summit you are able to climb above the clouds, as I had experienced on a recent trip. It was a moment of inspiration looking down on the clouds from such an extraordinary site, and certainly well worth the trip. Below are some of my photos from Mauna Kea.
Up next: What does LA look like at 6:30 AM from 20,000ft? Find out in my next post.
After sunset, just below the summit.
Descending Mauna Kea, below the summit, the sun sets.
At the summit looking at the tropical inversion cloud layer.
Above the clouds on Mauna Kea.
No comments:
Post a Comment