APOD
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
Hawai`i
Explanation: Aloha! With the graceful arc of the Earth's limb in the background, the entire Hawaiian Island archipelago is visible in this stunning photo taken by the astronauts onboard the shuttle Discovery in October of 1988. Along with popular beaches and tropical resorts, these volcanic islands offer extreme elevations with dark, dry, cloudless skies. Consequently they have also become popular sites for sophisticated ground based telescopes . The peak of Mauna Kea , on the Big Island (upper left), boasts an impressive array of astronomical instruments including the Keck Telescope , the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope , the NASA IRTF , the JCMT and UKIRT , and the Gemini Telescope Project . The dormant volcanic cone of Haleakala on Maui (just below the Big Island) is home to the Air Force Maui Optical Station and the Mees Solar Observatory . Mahalo nui loa !
| Date | December 16, 1995 |
|---|---|
| Credit | Credit: NASA, STS-26 Crew |
| Authors & editors: | Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) |
| A service of: |
ASD at NASA / GSFC, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U. |