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Pre-Dawn colors in Eastern sky. |
Tahi from Tahiti tries to act like its not freezing cold! |
Tahi and guests await the Sunrise.... |
The North-Eastern coast of the Big Island spread out below the clouds. |
Here comes the Sun! |
Tahi and the full Sunrise... |
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As the Sun first rises this fantastic shadow of Mauna Kea is cast to the West. |
A billion dollars of telescopes greet the Sunrise, the twin 10m Keck's and the Subaru Japan National Large Telescope. |
The British IRTF competes with real cones and the shadow (R) in this frame. |
Submillemeter Radio Telescopes contrast this incredible view of "The Shadow"... |
On the way down we spot the huge plume of Sulphur Dioxide emitted by the new vent at Kilauea Volcano. |
Magnificent cinder cones frame dormant Mauna Loa in the distance... |
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Near the center of this frame are three smoke plumes
(L) Steam from Lava entering the sea.
(M) Emissions from sea level vents
(R) Emissions from Pu'u O'o vent to the east of Kilauea. |
A river of air driven by trade winds to the east starts to flow across the saddle to the west. |
The air river gathers strength passing bizarre post eruptive phase cinder cones with dramatic side lighting. |
Temperature at the Visitor station 9300ft (3000m) at 7:00am is still just on freezing. |
This vast air river is now rapidly filling the saddle area while flowing to the west. |
The rapidly flowing air river is now complete within a half hour moving from left to right....amazing Mauna Kea and its surroundings! |
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As we descend to the saddle floor for our return to Hilo we encounter the moving air mass and its fog. |
