Why Mauna Kea?

Mauna Kea, Hawaii

Mauna Kea 13,824 ft

Astronomers observe through Atmospheric windows

KAO cabin pressure

(2,600m)

sea level

Denver

(1,690m)

onset of hypoxemia

(3,500m)

Mount Graham(3,191m)

Mauna Kea(4,215m)

Llano do Hato(3,610m)

highest livingmammal

(yak)

“Death Zone”

(5,500m)

Reaching for the Stars

WaterVapor

Location, location, location….

Location, Location, Location...

Comfort Zone

The inversion layer

Adaptive Optics can be made to work...

University of Hawaii/NSF Adaptive University of Hawaii/NSF Adaptive Optics System - Hokupa’aOptics System - Hokupa’a

V-band0.6 arcsec

Adaptive Optics at workGlobular Cluster NGC6934

• V (0.55um) band

• FWHM of 0.6”

• K (2.2um) band

• ~120 exposures totaling 23min

• FWHM of 0.09”

Gemini Optical ImageGemini Optical Image2.2um (K)Hokupa’a ON

Light Pollution in the US

Image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Earth at Night

Image from the International Dark Sky Association

Mauna Kea at Night

The Competition …..

HSTHST8 meters

2.4 meters

$440M

$1.75M

UKIRTUKIRT

GEMINIGEMINI

One advantage of being on the ground One advantage of being on the ground - collecting area & cost- collecting area & cost

$2.00M

Atacama Desert, Chile

Atacama Desert, 18,000 ft

Images from NASA’s Nomad Test Expedition

2121st st Century Ground-Based Observatory Century Ground-Based Observatory -- 50m Class Telescope-- 50m Class Telescope