Timothy Ferris on Mauna Kea
June 25, 2008 • Mauna Kea Observatories
Timothy Ferris visited Mauna Kea Observatories to research our site for a story he is developing on the "Big Scopes of the Present and Future" for National Geographic Magazine for its June 2009 publication. We facilitated a tour for Timothy with the support and assistance of Saeko Hayashi and Kumiko Hasegawa of Subaru Telescope, Debbie Goodwin of WM Keck Observatory and Scott Fisher of Gemini Observatory. Our visit
Timothy and Kumiko outside the Subaru ESB, with SMA and Pu'uPoliahu behind
to each facility provided an inside look at the science and technology behind it that drives the astronomical research on Mauna Kea. It was a glorious day on the mountain and a wonderful time for Timothy and me in some of the most sophisticated astronomical observatories in the world.
Kumiko and Timothy pose as the day crew install MOIRCS onto the caseegrain focus
CIAX automatic instrument exchanger transporting MOIRCS to the telescope
In Keck's mirror barn with Craig Nance and a segment inverted on a cart
Timothy gets a close look at the business end of Keck 2's laser AO tube Craig Nance, Timothy and Gary in front of a freshly coated mirror segment in mirror barn