The world's best stargazing — 13 international observatories atop a sacred Hawaiian volcano
Mauna Kea, at 4,205m (13,796 ft), is home to the world's largest collection of astronomical observatories — thirteen in total, operated by eleven countries. The summit sits above 40% of Earth's atmosphere and above the cloud layer, giving astronomers some of the clearest, driest skies on the planet. The Keck Observatory's twin 10-meter mirrors are among the largest optical telescopes in the world. The visitor station at 2,800m offers free public stargazing programs on most nights. Mauna Kea is also considered the most sacred mountain in Hawaiian culture — the summit is the realm of the gods,…
Hawaiian tradition holds that Mauna Kea is the firstborn of the sky father Wākea and earth mother Papahānaumoku — the most sacred place in the island chain, where the summit touches the heavens. Astronomers discovered its exceptional observing conditions in the 1960s; the first observatory was built in 1968. Today the summit hosts some of astronomy's most significant instruments, including the telescopes that contributed to the first direct image of a black hole (M87*, 2019). The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project has been contested by Native Hawaiian groups who consider the summit ahu (alt…