Star Wars on Mauna Kea

The twin Keck telescopes on Mauna Kea beam lasers to the atmosphere for adaptive optics operation. One is shooting the lasers towards the galactic center. Located near the 4205m (13800ft) summit of Maunakea 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. There are a dozen giant telescopes at or around the summit including the the double 10-meter Keck telescopes.