Mauna Kea at the Break of Dawn

The twin Keck telescopes on Mauna Kea beam lasers to the atmosphere for adaptive optics operation. Located near the 4205m (13800ft) summit of Mauna Kea volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii, the observatory is recognized as one of the world’s premier astronomical research facilities. Hawaii’s isolation in the mid-Pacific Ocean and the high elevation of Maunakea makes it one of the best locations on Earth for astronomical observations. The Moon, next to Orion and Taurus, appears above the rising morning twilight.