Posted on 03/10/2013 4:03:35 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
Explanation: Aloha and welcome to a breathtaking skyscape. The dreamlike panoramic view looks out from the 4,200 meter volcanic summit of Mauna Kea, Hawai'i, across a layer of clouds toward a starry night sky and the rising Milky Way. Anchoring the scene on the far left is the dome of the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT), with north star Polaris shining beyond the dome to the right. Farther right, headed by bright star Deneb, the Northern Cross asterism is embedded along the plane of the Milky Way as it peeks above the horizon. Both Northern Cross and brilliant white Vega hang over a foreground grouping of cinder cones. Near the center are the reddish nebulae, stars and dust clouds of the central Milky Way. Below, illumination from the city lights of Hilo creates an eerie, greenish glow in the clouds. Red supergiant star Antares shines above the Milky Way's central bulge while bright Alpha Centauri lies still farther right, along the dusty galactic plane. Finally, at the far right is the large Gemini North Observatory. The compact group of stars known as the Southern Cross is just left of the telescope dome. Need some help identifying the stars? Just slide your cursor over the picture, or download this smaller, labeled panorama.
(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...
[Credit & Copyright: Wally Pacholka (TWAN)]
Absolutely stunning and breath taking! Love it!!
I’m guessing the glow in the clouds is Hilo (only because it’s towards the East). Neat picture - thanks for posting it.
FRegards,
PrairieDawg.
Pretty. You should see it from over 9,000 feet on the Rockies (not much atmosphere overhead). Little cold, though (~ 10, F and windy now—at night, below zero). ;-)
bump
Mauna Kea is almost 14,000 feet. I’ve been up there twice. It’s as close to being on a different planet as can be and with those huge telescopes it’s like a scene from Star Wars. Really neat but one is a bit out of sorts bc of the altitude.
Yep....Haleakala is just fine at 11,000 feet, but Mauna Kea gets the ears poppin’. And then there’s the snow.....
Get a camera and show us...
The sensors in modern cameras are opening up a new visual frontier. I discovered and captured great views of our galaxy just outside the Las Vegas strip. Then there’s moonlight which can be exposed to look like daylight with stars among the clouds.
All this from a Sony Nex7.
Must be, ‘cause the other way is Mauna Loa, and if that’s glowing, well, somebody got problems...
Watch out for the invisible cows...
The first time I went up to Haleakala, I was in shorts and a t-shirt. It was my honeymoon and I had not done enough studying on Hawaii to know to bring a jacket, everywhere.
Good times.
Wow!
I would love to see that in person.
I’, gusseins the yellow splotch in the clouds is light from some city?
You're right about that. In Sept 2011, my wife and I were driving to Estes Park before visiting our son at CU in Boulder. We made it to Granby at 8 PM and had to decide whether to go over the Trail Ridge Road through Rocky Mountain National Park or down to Denver. The Trail Ridge Road had already been closed with snow, but was open for a few more days before being closed for the season, so I chose the shorter path...through RMNP. We hit the top of the park at 12,183 feet about 10 PM. I got out of the car to take in the view and you are right -- it is breathtaking at night. My wife was totally freaking out thinking I was going to be eaten by bears and I couldn't get her out of the car. A huge solo bull Elk slowly sauntered in front of our about a half mile down the road -- I was shocked he hadn't headed down for the winter yet.
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