Hawaiian Eye

Mauna Kea, an extinct volcano towering high above the island of Hawaii, has not erupted in at least 10,000 years. But lately the barren, treeless area near the 13,796-ft. summit has been the scene of another, less menacing kind of activity. After three years of grueling work, construction crews are putting the finishing touches on the highest astronomical observatory on earth.

Howling Blizzards. On its lofty perch, Mauna Kea Observatory lies above 40% of the earth's obscuring atmosphere and provides its telescopes (an 88-in. reflector and two smaller 24-in. mirrors) with a spectacularly clear view of the stars and planets. Pictures of Jupiter already shot through one of its smaller telescopes are considered among the best ever obtained. Less than 20 degrees north of the equator, the observatory can explore far more of the southern skies than most installations in the Northern Hemisphere. The site is also favored by an unusual local weather condition: a layer of warm air that on seven days out of ten traps obscuring clouds, pollution and precipitation several thousand feet below the summit.

To gain the advantages of height, the University of Hawaii, which built and will operate the observatory, had to endure some monumental difficulties. Construction of the $5,000,000 installation was repeatedly delayed by freezing temperatures. Vehicles often broke down on the rock-strewn road to the summit, and howling blizzards sometimes entirely blocked off lower levels of the route. One snowstorm, in fact, occurred only a few weeks before last week's formal dedication. But by far the worst problem was the thin air at the top of the volcano. Headaches, dizziness and nausea, all symptoms of oxygen deficiency, were constant companions of the work crews. Even men recruited from high-altitude projects in the Rockies could not perform at more than 25% efficiency, if at all. "Some would come up, work a day, and then quit in disgust," recalls one workman. "They wouldn't even come back for their tools."

Conditions are equally inconvenient for Mauna Kea's astronomers. Oxygen breathing units are everywhere (at least one minute's inhalation is recommended for every 30 minutes of work). Even if they pass strenuous physical examinations, astronomers always operate in pairs so that a helping hand is immediately available. Such precautions are not always enough. On his first night back on the mountain after a month's absence, Astronomer-in-Charge William M. Sinton got the shakes, found his speech blurring and was unable to remember the simplest facts--all because of the shortage of oxygen.

Better protection is given the observatory's sensitive equipment. The 88-in. telescope, for example, is shielded from the distorting effects of temperature variations by a complex cooling system; glycol antifreeze solutions similar to those used in radiators of cars circulate through walls and floors to keep temperatures stable whenever observations are made. On the other hand, some heat is provided in the Mauna Kea's control center--not for the comfort of the hardy astronomers, but to warm the delicate circuitry of the observatory's computer.

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