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Haleakala Observatories
Posted in: Blog, Graphic Design, Maui by MauiHawaiiUpdates on February 3, 2011
Haleakala Observatory - Click to Enlarge
Incongruous in the cinder desert, like a science-fiction movie set, this cluster of white-domed buildings connects Haleakala to outer space. The domes house powerful telescopes for the defense and scientific communities.
Observatories were built near the highest point on Maui because the site offers the fourth-best viewing conditions on the planet. Here above the clouds the atmosphere is clear and dry, with minimal air and light pollution.
The largest scope can track objects as small as a basketball more than 20,000 miles away. Although employing the latest technology, astronomy is consistent with ancient Hawaiian traditions, when elders brought apprentice na kilo hoku (Hawaiian astronomers) here to study the heavens and learn to navigate by the stars.
Through a partnership between the Department of Defense and the University of Hawaii, the telescopes are shared with government agencies and academic and scientific institutions. The entire observatory complex lies outside park boundaries and is closed to the public. Learn more about Haleakala Crater.