Mauna Kea Observatory, Hawaii by Fred Espenak

Canon G9 + Gigapan Epic

Atop the 14,000-ft summit of Hawaiian volcano Mauna Kea are some of the world's largest telescopes for optical, infrared, and submillimeter astronomy. From left to right, the observatories and telescopes in this panorama are identified as follows.

The silver 'golf ball' dome of the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory contains a 10.4-meter dish. The James Clerk Maxwell Telescope is a 15-meter diameter dish also used for submillimeter astronomy and is operated by the UK, Netherlands and Canada. Eight 6-meter antennas of the Submillimeter Array are operated by Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and Taiwan. The Subaru Telescope has a diameter of 8.3 meters and is used for optical and IR astronomy. The twin domes of the W. M. Keck Observatory house two 10-meter telescopes operated by Caltech and University of California. The silver dome of the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility contains a 3.0-meter infrared telescope operated by University of Hawaii for NASA.

List of Gigapan Panoramas of Hawaii:

- Kilauea Caldera (www.gigapan.org/gigapans/48522/)
- Kilauea Iki Crater (www.gigapan.org/gigapans/48548/)
- Halemaumau Crater (gigapan.org/gigapans/48670/)
- Mauna Kea Observatory (www.gigapan.org/gigapans/48361/)
- Waipio Valley (www.gigapan.org/gigapans/48498/)
- Fishpond at Anaeho'omalu Bay (www.gigapan.org/gigapans/48173/)
- Anaeho'omalu Bay Fishpond at Sunset (www.gigapan.org/gigapans/48344/)