The Mauna Kea Observatories are a collection of astronomical research facilities located on the summit of Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano on the island of Hawaii. Situated at an altitude of 4,207 meters (13,803 feet) above sea level, Mauna Kea's high elevation and remote location make it an ideal site for astronomical observations, with clear, dark skies and minimal atmospheric turbulence.
The observatories on Mauna Kea include telescopes operated by various institutions and organizations from around the world, including universities, government agencies, and international consortia. These telescopes cover a wide range of wavelengths and study diverse astronomical phenomena, from distant galaxies and quasars to the planets and moons of our solar system.
Some of the most prominent telescopes on Mauna Kea include the Keck Observatory, which comprises two 10-meter (33-foot) telescopes equipped with segmented mirrors, making them among the largest optical and infrared telescopes in the world. Other notable facilities include the Subaru Telescope, the Gemini Observatory, and the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT), each contributing to cutting-edge research in fields such as cosmology, galactic astronomy, planetary science, and exoplanet research.
The Mauna Kea Observatories have played a crucial role in numerous groundbreaking discoveries and have contributed significantly to our understanding of the universe. However, the construction and operation of observatories on Mauna Kea have also been the subject of controversy and protests due to concerns about the environmental impact on the mountain's fragile ecosystem and the cultural significance of the site to Native Hawaiian communities.
