Mauna Kea observatories

You may have heard of a volcano in the island of Hawaii which is said to be actually higher than the famed Mount Everest when measured from the ocean bed.

The peak of this volcano standing at 13,803 ft (4,207 m) above sea level, is the highest point in the U.S. state of Hawaii. However, much of the mountain is below sea level. So, when it is measured from its oceanic base, the total height difference is 33,500 ft (10,200 m), significantly taller than the elevation of Mount Everest (8,848 m/29,029 ft).

Mauna Kea is about two million years old, and has passed the most active shield stage of life hundreds of thousands of years ago.. Mauna Kea last erupted 4,600 years ago. According to the USGS, as of January 2012, the Volcanic-Alert Level is "Normal".

With its high altitude, dry environment, and stable airflow, Mauna Kea's summit is one of the best sites in the world for astronomical observation, and one of the most controversial. Since the creation of an access road in 1964, 13 telescopes funded by eleven countries have been constructed at the summit.

The Mauna Kea Observatories (MKO) are used for scientific research across the electromagnetic spectrum from visible light to radio, and comprise one of the world's largest facilities of their type. The independent collection of astronomical research facilities on the summit are located in a 500-acre special land zone known as the "Astronomy Precinct", in the Mauna Kea Science Reserve.The University of Hawaii manages the site and leases land to several multinational facilities .

The altitude and isolation in the middle of the Pacific Ocean makes Mauna Kea one of the best locations on Earth for ground-based astronomy. It is an ideal location for submillimeter, infrared and optical observations.

Telescopes found at the summit of Mauna Kea are funded by government agencies of various nations.

The University of Hawaii itself directly administers two telescopes. In total there are 12 telescopes in or around the summit of Mauna Kea.