After lunch, we drove to the top of Mauna Kea, home to the Onizuka Center for International Astronomy. There are 11 working telescopes operated by 11 different countries in the world's largest astronomical observatory. We visited the W.M. Keck Observatory whose two ten meter telescopes are the largest optical infrared telescopes in the world, and are operated by CalTech and the University of California.

Mauna Kea is the world's highest island-mountain rising 9750 meters (32,000 feet) from the ocean floor to an altitude of 4205 meters (13,796 feet) above sea level. Notice all of our students lying around the USGS altitude marker on the peak of Mauna Kea.

The sunset and clouds were spectacular considering the summit of Mauna Kea is above 40 per cent of the Earth's atmosphere. We must admit the lack of oxygen made for some interesting conversations.