ImagiDiem

The last rays of the sun bathe the observatories at the summit of Mauna Kea in golden light while the clouds below us tumble by.

The Canada-France-Hawaii Observatory (left) has opened its doors in anticipation of a night of astronomical observations. Observatories open their dome doors well before they begin observations in order to equalize the temperature inside the dome with the outside temperature (about 40° F). This stabilizes the air around the telescope, preventing convection currents that disturb observation