And you have to stand outside in the chill wind for over 1 1/2 hours. You have to be passionate (and crazy and determined) to want to do star gazing at that altitude and the cold and the wind-chill. You get to the top at sunset, then it gets very cold. You climb from sea level to 14,000+ft within 1 hour so expect problems with acclimatisation (head ache, serious breathlessness etc). If you do go here, please turn off your engine and run it as little as possible near the observatory, as the emissions will interfere with their measurements. To add to the challenge, most afternoons clouds will build up and move up the mountain reducing visibility and adding a damp chill to the air. It's also rocky and uneven, have light but sturdy footwear. It's fairly steep and again, the altitude makes it tough. Bring extra food and water in case you get stuck out overnight, it would be impossible to follow this trail in the dark as it's just rock cairns (ahu in Hawaiian) made of lava, which don't stand out well against the hundreds of acres of lava on which they're built. Daytime highs rarely reach 60 F and nights are commonly in the 20s F. If you intend to hike, come prepared, the air is thin and it's cool to cold all day, year round. There is parking for about 3 vehicles just outside the observatory where you can pick up the trail, at about 11000 feet. We arrived early in the morning before the clouds built up, and the view across the valley to Mauna Kea and the actual astronomical observatory were breathtaking, worth the 20 miles of winding one lane road with dozens of blind hills and corners - go slowly here. We didn't have time for that, as our intention was to hike the Observatory Trail to the summit of Mauna Loa (we failed, this is a tough hike). Would like to visit at night and see the sky at its splendor.Īs has been noted here, this is NOT the astronomical observatory, it's a weather observatory and is not open to the public, although their website does offer that if you want a tour, you can call them. An adventure for those wanting to do, something out of the norm of laying on the beach, and exploring hidden treasures. You could see open vents of steam, coming from Mauna Loa, signs not to venture into the area cordoned off. With in seconds the temperature dropped to 45" degrees, with a misty wind blowing light rain, felt like bebee's hit my skin, I took a windbreaker, in case of rain and drop of temperature. We got off to see what it was like, within 20 seconds I could feel the pressure of the altitude. As we ascended to the top we could see a break in the weather, clear sky, the Observatory's where open, as we approached they closed. We from a cloudy misty sky to a bright blue sky, to cloudy overcast and light rain an humid mist. Construction was being done at the base of where an encampment of those who were monitoring the Observatory as well self contained encampments for exploratory research, which was confirmed on 60 minutes. There was markers, at different intervals monitoring Mauna Loa. Measurement comparisons were made among various instruments in accordance with the standard intercomparison protocols of the NDACC.A must visit, rented a SUV, filled the gas tank at Cosco's, preceded to Mauna Loa, a steep incline going up at a steddy pace. All instruments participate and archive data with the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change. Also making measurements were the JPL Stratospheric Ozone Lidar and the NOAA Aerosol and Water Vapor Lidar. Measurements were made during six different four week periods during this time period by both the NASA GSFC Stratospheric Ozone Lidar (STROZ) and the Aerosol and Temperature (ATL) lidar. Lanham MD, USAģ Table Mountain Facility, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Wrightwood, CA USAĤ NOAA, Earth Science Research Laboratory, Mauna Loa Observatory, Global Monitoring Division, Hilo, HI USAīetween November, 2015 and January, 2015, the Goddard Space Flight Center operated a pair of lidar instruments at the NOAA facility at Mauna Loa on the Big Island of Hawaii (Lat. Sumnicht 2, Thierry Leblanc 3 and John Barnes 4ġ Laboratory for Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USAĢ Science Systems and Applications, Inc.
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