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KECK OBSERVATORY
MAUNA KEA SUMMIT
ISLAND OF HAWAI‘I

2007 January 28

OBSERVING PROGRAM:

Shelley Wright (left) and Michael McElwain (right) are finding a break during a long set of integrations using the Keck Observatory's Adaptive Optics system and the integral field spectrograph OSIRIS. When this photograph was made, both McElwain and Wright were part of the OSIRIS instrument team which helped in the implementation and commissioning of the instrument with Professor James Larkin at UC Los Angeles. Here they are attempting to image close planet companions to bright young stars.

OSIRIS was designed by Larkin to work specifically with the Keck AO system and to dissect tiny portions of the sky. It can analyze light from over 3000 adjacent regions simultaneously, allowing astronomers to measure the chemical makeup of objects, as well as rotations and more complex motions over an extended area.

A VIEW FROM MAUNA KEA ~ SACRED MOUNTAIN OF HAWAI‘I

Mauna Kea holds profound religious and cultural significance for Native Hawaiians. It embodies their divine ancestral origins and connection to Creation. At 13,796 feet / 4,205 meters in elevation on the Island of Hawai‘i, it last erupted about 4400 years ago. The now-dormant volcano is only 120 feet higher than its active neighbor Mauna Loa 27 miles to the south. Seen from below and framed by palm trees and azure waters, the snow-cloaked summit of Mauna Kea inspires awe and veneration—its Hawaiian name means “White Mountain”. The star-filled sky above offers unsurpassed clarity for some of the world’s most advanced telescopes as they unravel mysteries of the universe. Upon its flanks are hallowed Hawaiian sites, ancient paths, rare plants and animals, and a unique and fragile ecosystem. Please walk gently and respectfully on Mauna O Wākea, the Sacred Mountain of Hawai‘i.

EXPOSURE DATA

Nikon D2x
Nikkor 18-200 DX f/3.5-5.6 zoom lens
ISO digital: 100  /  f/6.3
Exposure: 1/30 second

COPYRIGHT

All images and text are property of Laurie Hatch Photography; unauthorized use is a violation of copyright law. You are welcome to email me with your useage requests.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

W. M. Keck Observatory

Keck Adaptive Optics / Laser Guide Star

UCLA ~ OSIRIS Spectrograph 

‘Imiloa: Astronomy Center of Hawai‘i

Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station

The photographer thanks the astronomers and Keck staff for their invaluable assistance in producing this photograph. 

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