Keck I Telescope. Image by David J. Eicher
OK, this morning I feel like I’m caught in a time warp — I just got back from one trip, and I’m still talking about another. (I’ll be reporting on the Cherry Springs Star Party in northern Pennsylvania, which just took place this weekend, a little later today.) Two weeks ago, I was in Hawaii for the transit of Venus, and, among other things, our group of about 100 travelers trekked up to the summit of Mauna Kea to see the 10-meter Keck I Telescope. We had as our guide a well-known user of the Kecks, Alex Filippenko of the University of California, Berkeley, and he gave us an insider’s tour.
I shot a couple movies up on Mauna Kea, but the file sizes are so huge that they must be carried back home and processed rather than posted remotely. So, I’m presenting the first one here — an overview shot inside the Keck I Visitor Center showing our first group getting ready to go in and see the telescope. As you’ll see, the lack of oxygen at 13,796 feet (4,205 meters) makes everyone a little loopy.
More videos from Hawaii to come, and reporting on Cherry Springs to come, too.
Enjoy!