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A Globetrotting Guide to
the Internet Windows Through the Universe From the top of Mauna Kea astronomers are reaching across light-years of space. The dry, clear skies make this vantage point one of the most desirable locations on the planet for studying the nighttime sky. While most mornings offer clear skies, by afternoon a blanket of clouds covers the lower slopes of the mountain. The upper elevation remains clear because of the temperature inversion that separates it from below. The Reverend William Ellis, a missionary on the Islands during the early nineteenth century wrote that Mauna Kea's peak "appeared above a mass of clouds like a stately pyramid or the silvered dome of a magnificent temple..." The native Hawaiians would not approach the summit, the environment forbidding and the domain belonging to that of the gods. Poliahu was the snow goddess of Mauna Kea, who sometimes extinguished the fires of Pele. It was also said that some people had been turned to stone when the gods did not approve of their presence. Because of these beliefs, the early explorers were left on their own to approach the steep summit area. In spite of the Hawaiian beliefs surrounding the mountain, some early Hawaiians did venture to the summit area. An area containing a fine-grained, basaltic rock was discovered. The dense rock was invaluable for producing adze blades. There is evidence that the site was used from around 1,000 A.D. Today the quarry spans seven and a half miles, the elevation ranging from between 11,000 and 12,400 feet. Anthropologist Patrick McCoy of the Bishop Museum writes, "The Mauna Kea Adze Quarry is probably one of the nation's least known but most important National Historic Landmarks, from both a research and interpretive point of view. It is the only landmark of its kind in the United States. Moreover, it is probably one of the largest and most complex stone tool quarries in the world." <<< Next: Tour the Observatories >>>
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