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Astronomy v6 – MK Tour
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NARRATION
VIDEO
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TITLES:
“Astronomy on Mauna Kea”
Beauty shots of telescopes on the summit.
TIME
(music up & under)
The summit of Mauna Kea is home
to some of the largest, most
powerful telescopes in the world.
Over the past 4 decades… Mauna
Kea’s 13 observatories have pushed
the boundaries of astronomy studying black holes, discovering
hundreds of planets, and identifying
galaxies so distant that they existed
soon after the Big Bang, when the
universe was born – 13.7 billion
years ago.
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Astronomy images of the universe
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Super: Pu`u Poli`ahu 1964
Think of the night skies as a vast
laboratory, where astronomers can
explore the fundamental properties
of matter and energy – such as
quantum physics and the mysterious
dark energy which is thought to
make up most of the known
universe.
In 1964, Astronomy began on
Mauna Kea when astronomer Gerard
Kuiper conducted the first
observations on Puu Poliahu, one of
the summit’s highest cinder cones.
Mitsuo Akiyama and other
community leaders encouraged
Governor John A. Burns to support
astronomy and a gravel road to the
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summit was approved.
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Graphic:
1989 footage
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That first telescope was designed by
Alika Herring. With a mirror only
12 inches across, it produced images
that launched Mauna Kea as worldclass location for astronomy.
Because it is located in the middle of
the Pacific Ocean at 13,796 feet
above sea level, Mauna Kea is
surrounded by incredibly stable, dry,
and clear air.
There are no nearby mountain
ranges to cause turbulence, and the
volcano’s conical shape helps to
smooth air currents.
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Time lapse scene of cloud layers.
On most days, a tropical inversion
layer helps to keep moist air below
the summit, and as the mountain
cools before sunset, a convection
effect pushes the cloud layer to
lower altitudes.
Mauna Kea’s percentage of cloudfree nights is one of the highest in
the world.
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This superb air quality causes less
distortion and degradation of light as
it passes through the atmosphere.
But, there are other requirements for
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world-class astronomy. The Big
Island of Hawaii provides the
necessary modern infrastructure including airports, a large harbor,
and medical facilities.
At night, sodium vapor street lights
preserve the island’s dark skies.
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Scene of IFA astronomers
GRAPHIC:
Institute for Astronomy
University of Hawaii
Meanwhile, the University of
Hawaii has become a world leader in
the field of astronomy, and counts
many top astronomers on its staff.
The University also manages the
Hale Pohaku facilities with slope
side lodging for visiting astronomers
and telescope technicians.
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GRAPHICS:
University of Hawaii 24-inch Telescope
Mirror: .6 meters
Type: Optical - Infrared
First Light: 1968
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Mauna Kea’s oldest operational
telescope is the University of Hawaii
24-inch Telescope.
Known for planetary research during
its early years… the UH-24 first
captured images to photographic
film, before pioneering the use of
infrared detectors.
This telescope’s history has spanned
the evolution of modern instruments
- including CCD cameras, computer
tracking systems, and detector
arrays.
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Today, UH-24 is primarily an
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educational facility for use by
undergraduate students attending the
University of Hawaii at Hilo.
And soon, a one-meter telescope
will replace it on the same location.
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GRAPHICS:
University of Hawaii 88-inch Telescope
Mirror: 2.2 meters
Type: Optical – Infrared - UV
First Light: 1970
The University of Hawaii 88-inch
Telescope proved that large, worldclass telescopes were feasible on
Mauna Kea, in spite of high altitude
and cold.
Completed in 1970, it was one of the
first telescopes to be operated by a
computer system!
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The UH-88 pioneered exploration of
the Kuiper Belt – a vast band of
asteroids and other small objects on
the outskirts of our solar system.
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And through the years, this telescope
has been a test bed for cutting-edge
instruments being developed by the
University of Hawaii, and is now an
essential part of the school’s postgraduate program.
GRAPHICS:
Canada-France-Hawaii-Telescope
Mirror: 3.6 meters
Type: Optical – Infrared
First Light: 1979
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Operated by an international
consortium, the Canada-FranceHawaii-Telescope was considered
by many astronomers to be the
world’s premiere telescope when it
launched in 1979.
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Since then, CFHT has remained at
the forefront of modern astronomy,
because of innovative instruments
such as adaptive optics. AO
compensates for distortions caused
by the Earth’s atmosphere. By
bouncing incoming light off a
deformable mirror, the resulting
clarity is comparable to space
telescopes.
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And, one of CFHT’s newest
instruments, the MegaPrime, seen
here mounted at the telescope’s
prime position, can capture an
incredibly high-resolution, wideangle view of the heavens.
GRAPHICS:
NASA Infrared Telescope Facility
Mirror: 3 meters
Type: Infrared
First Light: 1979
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The NASA Infrared Telescope
Facility was launched in 1979 to
support NASA’s space missions and
research programs.
Optimized for infrared wavelengths
between 1 and 25 microns, the IRTF
is especially well suited to observe
the spectra from cooler objects.
Significant contributions include the
study of Io, one of Jupiter’s moons,
where volcanic activity was
observed.
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Managed by the University of
Hawaii, under contract to NASA,
the IRTF spends half of its time
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looking at solar system objects –
such as these cold spots on the
Saturn.
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GRAPHICS:
United Kingdom Infrared Telescope
Mirror: 3.8 meters
Type: Infrared
First Light: 1979
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The United Kingdom Infrared
Telescope is the world’s largest
telescope designed solely for
infrared astronomy. It can “see” the
invisible heat radiations being
emitted by the universe’s cooler
objects.
Operated by the Joint Astronomy
Centre in Hilo, UKIRT is a great
example of how telescopes continue
to evolve and be competitive.
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By developing advanced instrument
technologies, the telescope has
revolutionized infrared astronomy.
One of its notable achievements is
calculating the mass of quasars –
super bright, extremely dense, and
mysterious galaxies at the edge of
the universe.
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GRAPHICS:
Caltech Submillimeter Observatory
Dish: 10.4 meters
Type: Submillimeter
First Light: 1987
The Caltech Submillimeter
Observatory features a 10.4 meter,
segmented dish. Designed by the
late Robert Leighton of CalTech, it
is formed by 84 aluminum hexagons
and can rotate with the dome to
point nearly anywhere in the sky.
The Leighton mirror looks at the
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submillimeter wavelengths of the
spectrum – to give scientists a very
different view than optical or
infrared telescopes.
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To capture these wavelengths, the
CSO’s sensitive detectors are cooled
to temperatures of liquid helium.
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Mauna Kea’s extremely dry air is
ideal for submillimeter observations,
and has helped the CSO make
ground-breaking studies of cold
objects such as molecular clouds and
planetary nebulae.
GRAPHICS:
James Clerk Maxwell Telescope
Dish: 15 meters
Type: Submillimeter
First Light: 1987
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The James Clerk Maxwell Telescope
is the world’s largest, single-dish
submillimeter telescope.
When open, JCMT reveals the
world’s largest piece of Gore-Tex,
which is about 80% transparent to
submillimeter radiation, and protects
the telescope from wind and dust.
Graphics:
“SCUBA”
Submillimeter Common User Bolo-meter
Array
Inside, one of its instruments is
possibly the coldest place on Earth
at only one-tenth of a degree above
absolute zero.
Called SCUBA, that detector
captured an image showing dust
clouds around the star Vega.
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Because of its power to see very
cold objects, JCMT is able to study
how galaxies evolve, and how stars
form from cooler clouds of
interstellar dust and gas.
GRAPHICS:
Very Long Baseline Array
Dish: 25 meters
Type: Radio
First Light: 1993
The Very Long Base Array consists
of 10 identical antennas spanning
North America from the Virgin
Islands to Hawaii.
Working together as one instrument
5,000 miles wide, each of the dishes
are timed to each other within an
accuracy of a few billionths of a
second.
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The VLBA’s resolution of one
milliarcsecond is the sharpest of any
telescope on Earth or in space.
That is equivalent to reading a
newspaper headline in Los Angeles
– from New York City!!
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Known for its studies of black holes
and galactic centers, the VLBA has
also been used to measure
continental drift by referencing
Earth’s land masses to celestial
objects.
GRAPHICS:
W.M. Keck Observatory
Mirrors: 10 meters each
Type: Optical & Infrared
First Light: 1992 & 1996
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The Keck twins have the largest
mirrors in the world for optical and
infrared astronomy.
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At 10 meters wide, each mirror is
formed by 36 hexagonal segments.
A computer system of sensors and
actuators control the segments and
adjusts their positions twice every
second – to an accuracy 1,000 times
finer than a human hair.
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Like other telescopes here, Keck
uses adaptive optics. To make AO
more versatile, the Keck
Observatory has developed laser
guide star technologies to create an
artificial reference star. Not
limited by natural bright stars, the
Keck telescopes can use adaptive
optics in more areas of the sky.
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The Keck twins can also combine
their light, using interferometry, to
further increase their power.
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With its two state-of-the-art
telescopes, the Keck observatory
had made many of the breakthrough
discoveries of the past decade…
…including explorations into the
origins of our universe, and the
search for new planets.
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GRAPHICS:
Frederick C. Gillett Gemini Telescope
Mirrors: 8.1 meters
Type: Optical & Infrared
First Light: 1999
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The Gemini North telescope, with its
identical twin in Chile, can cover the
entire sky – both northern and
southern hemispheres.
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One of Gemini’s most noticeable
features is the ability to open its
mid-section to equalize the inside air
to outside temperatures.
And, the 8 meter telescope is so well
engineered that a single person can
push the 380 ton telescope, if the
drive motors are disengaged.
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Time lapse footage from Peter M. –
GRAPHIC:
2004
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Professional telescopes need to be
resurfaced periodically, and it takes
only 1/2 ounce of aluminum to cover
the Gemini’s mirror. Here, a silver
coating was applied for the first
time.
Gemini’s power is further enhanced
by the development of its cameras –
different types of detectors that can
be swapped for specific
observations.
Still young in telescope years,
Gemini has already made major
discoveries and taken its place
among the world’s elite telescopes.
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GRAPHICS:
Subaru Telescope
Mirrors: 8.3 meters
Type: Optical & Infrared
First Light: 1999
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Subaru, or the Pleiades star cluster,
has been admired by the Japanese
for over 1,000 years. Translated as
“to tie together” – it is a fitting
namesake for the Subaru Telescope
– an international research facility.
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Visually striking, the Subaru is in a
unique cylindrical enclosure designed to reduce air turbulence
and reflect heat.
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And, Subaru is the only telescope 8
meters or larger with a detector
instrument in the prime focus
position.
This demands a sturdier support
structure and yoke. But the highresolution, wide-angle-view is ideal
for scanning large numbers of faint
objects at the far edges of the solar
system and of the universe itself.
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GRAPHICS:
Submillimeter Array
Dishes: 6 meters each
Type: Millimeter & submillimeter
First Light: 2002
The newest addition to the summit is
the Submillimeter Array, located in
Mauna Kea’s “submillimeter
valley”.
Each of the eight 6-meter dishes can
be placed on different pads in
various patterns. With a special
super computer to combine and
compare the signals, SMA is a radio
interferometer with customizable
baselines from 8 to 500 meters.
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The array structure enables a
resolution of less than 1 arcsecond,
with the ability to discern distinct
objects that were previously unseen
by single dish telescopes.
Though just getting started - SMA
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has already contributed many
important observations such as the
formation of stars in Orion, a
collision of two galaxies, and a
detailed analysis of the weather on
Mars.
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Visual montage of telescopes on summit
(music up & under)
Mauna Kea may be the finest site for
terrestrial astronomy – with
exquisite air quality and the most
advanced telescopes ever built.
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As scientists explore the universal
questions…
How was the universe formed?
Where did we come from?
Is there other life out there?
…Mauna Kea stands at the pinnacle
of astronomy, and leads the search
for answers.
copyright
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