why mauna kea?. mauna kea, hawaii mauna kea 13,824 ft
TRANSCRIPT
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