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The Epic Interactive Encyclopedia 1998
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Epic Interactive Encyclopedia, The - 1998 Edition (1998)(Epic Marketing).iso
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Mauna_Kea
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1992-09-03
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Astronomical observatory in Hawaii, USA,
built on a dormant volcano at 4,200 m/13,784
ft above sea level. Because of its elevation
high above clouds, atmospheric moisture, and
artificial lighting, Mauna Kea is ideal for
infrared astronomy. The first telescope on
the site was installed 1970. Telescopes
include the 2.24 m/88 in University of Hawaii
reflector 1970. In 1979 three telescopes were
erected: the 3.8 m/150 in United Kingdom
Infrared Telescope (UKIRT) (also used for
optical observations); the 3 m/120 in NASA
Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF); and the
3.6 m/142 in Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope
(CFHT), designed for optical and infrared
work. The 15 m/50 ft diameter UK/Netherlands
James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) is the
world's largest telescope specifically
designed to observe millimetre wave radiation
from nebulae, stars, and galaxies. The JCMT
is operated via satellite links by
astronomers in Europe. Work began 1986 on
what will be the world's largest optical
telescope, the W M Keck Telescope. It will
have a primary mirror 10 m/33 ft across,
unique in that it comprises 36 individual
hexagonal segments joined together in a giant
mosaic, each controlled and adjusted by
computer to generate single images of the
objects observed. The Keck Telescope will be
built and operated jointly on Mauna Kea by
the California Institute of Technology and
the University of California.