A Panorama from Mauna Kea
Typically, views from Mauna Kea are up and dark.
That's because the
famous dormant volcano in
Hawaii is arguably
Earth's premier observing platform of the complex
and ever changing night sky.
However, this
daytime view is across and bright.
White snow and white clouds seem to blend together to make an
alien landscape.
Cinder cones from extinct volcanic outbursts dominate the foreground.
Scrolling right will reveal structures visually incongruous even here: an
armada of the
largest
optical telescopes on Earth.
The observatories seen include
Subaru and
Keck.
In the distance on the far left is
Mauna Loa,
Earth's largest volcano.