On the way to Mauna Kea. Measured from its base on the ocean floor, Mauna Kea is the highest mountain in the world. It stands at 4205m and is widely regarded to be the best place in the world to stargaze. I cannot wait cos people who know me since young know that i'm an astronomy freak.
We do a little detour to see the silver sword plant. Mauna Loa is on the horizon.
The amazing thing about this particular plant is that it is endemic to Hawaii, blooms once in 50 years and then dies after. However, this is the last surviving plant in Hawaii and has bloomed 11 times! No one knows the reason for its longevity but it is heavily protected.
The VLBA telescope. There are 13 telescopes on Mauna Kea because of its excellent location and isolation. Without official approval, you cannot use the telescopes and we're told it costs about 40K per night to use.
Me and the Gemini North telescope.
The shadow of the summit against the horizon. The landscape is desolate and quiet... only a few insects can survive at such a high altitude.
Keck I and II, the world's biggest optical telescopes.
Subaru, Keck I and II in the dusk.
I've always wanted to own a telescope but Singapore is so polluted i wonder if it is worth my money.
The summit is too cold and i succumb to altitude sickness in 15 mins... i feel groggy and my head is spinning. We descend to the visitors centre, where we set up our own telescope and look into the universe.
There are few things more beautiful than a clear night sky dotted with stars and the Milky Way. The sky is even more crowded than that in the Abu Dhabi desert. I'm at a loss for words because all the constellations are there. We see Jupiter's moons, Saturn's rings, the Big Dipper's Alcor and Mizar, Alpha centauri and many others thru the telescope. For a city girl, it's a dream come true.
Stargazing is an amazing thing. It reminds us of the world out there, and how minuscule we are compared to the universe. I would never forget that night for as long as i live.
I get my very own stellarscope which tells u the positions of stars by latitude and season.
At the summit caldera of Kilauea, one of the most active volcanoes in the world.
Steam is rising from the Halema`uma`u crater, and contributing to the volcanic smog that has surrounded the island for much of this year.
We descend to the caldera itself.
It's not an easy hike at all.
Lava fields near the coast
Its the nearest we can get to seeing the lava flow from the Pu`u O`o vent making its way down to the ocean floor. If you take a helicopter over this spot at night, u can actually see the red-hot molten lava flowing into the sea. The temperature of the lava is about 2100 degrees and the contact with the seawater causes the billowing steam. Pretty amazing huh, the way new land is created everyday.
There are cracks everywhere in the lava fields and i have such a hard time navigating them because although the lava has cooled, it still sits on a bed of molten lava.
I peered down one such crack and could not see the end. Frightening.
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