when you stargaze at mauna kea, you have been beholden to one of the most marvelous sights in the world. normally, in the bay area on a clear night, you can probably see 100 dimly lit stars. when we were in yosemite and the grand canyon, we could see hundreds of stars and at that time i thought it was stunning. however, at mauna kea, you are lit beneath the sky of probably 2000 – 2500 stars. it’s so amazing it almost looks fake. it almost takes you back to the age of exploration of the 15th and 16th century and you can understand how those sea faring explorers could triangulate their position. yes, the stars are just that bright and you can make out constellations and even see the milky way. our tour guide from Hawaii Forest and Trail noted several characteristics which make mauna kea ideal for stargazing such as the big island’s position at 20 degrees north latitude so you can see the southern and northern hemispehers, being up at 14000 feet which is above the inversion layer, and the low population density of the big island so that there isn’t much light population(they only use yellow street lights on the big island). seriously, this is as good as it gets … and then some. it makes you feel small.
