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  3. TRAVEL: 2007 through 2011
  4. Hawaii, February and March, 2009

Big Island #2: SACRED HEIGHTS FOR THE EDGE OF THE UNIVERSE AND SACRED COASTAL REFUGE

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  • Now that the sun is down enough that you can see what is between us and Poli'ahu, you can see the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (barely, at the lower left corner). The cylindrical building is James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) ( <a href="http://outreach.jach.hawaii.edu/articles/aboutjcmt/">http://outreach.jach.hawaii.edu/articles/aboutjcmt/</a> ). Remember earlier I stated that submillimeter wavelengths, which lie between infrared and radio waves, allow visualization of cool dust and gases? Well, the JCMT is the largest single-dish telescope in the world for submillimeter wavelengths (at 49 feet in diameter, it is as wide as a basketball court). It also is unusual in that the dish is protected by the largest sheet of Gore-tex in the world (Gore-tex is transparent to submillimeter wavelengths). One last interesting fact about this facility: To do the type of imaging it does requires some components to be VERY cold. One compartment in this instrument is kept at only 1/10 of a degree above absolute zero (-459.5 degrees F)! The little dishes you see to your right (actually, each of those dishes is 19.7 feet in diameter, with each assembly weighing 94,600 pounds) is a part of the Submillimeter Array ( <a href="http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/sma/">http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/sma/</a> ), a set of 8 instruments which can be arranged in different configurations, allowing the entire array to obtain the same resolution as would be possible with a dish 0.3 miles across. This is enough resolving power to "see" a period in average print of an average book from one mile away!
  • Cool! You can see that the NASA IRTF and the Keck are opening up! While most of the observations from the NASA IRTF are related to things inside our solar system, the Keck is often used to peer as far out into the universe as is possible for any telescope to see, literally pushing the edge of the known universe!
  • Now the Gemini North is opening! Remember what I said about the ventilation? Compare this now with the photos #16 and 17, in which this was all closed up.
  • We are looking northwest. On the horizon you can see the highest point on Mauai!
  • Poli'ahu was considered to be the most beautiful goddess in Hawaiian mythology (although Pele {goddess of volcanoes} could manifest herself as a beautiful woman at times, also). The snow was considered to be Poli'ahu's veil or cloak, which she spread over the highlands to beautify them. This was one of the most sacred places to the Hawaiians. In fact, most of it was forbidden to any except the high priests and a few craftsmen who were commissioned to quarry here for sharp stones suitable for carving wood and making weapons.
  • Indeed, there is considerable consternation even today among many of the Hawaiian people about what they see as these observatories desecrating their sacred mountain.
  • But isn't it fitting, in a way, that such a revered place has become the place with the highest concentration of "super eyes" peering out into the heavens and seeing all the way to the edge of the known universe? No other place combines excellent geography (the fact that it is only slightly north of the equator allows visualization of all the northern sky and most of the southern sky), remoteness (meaning freedom from pollution of all types), consistently clear weather, stable politics, and several other factors. The slogan used for this place is "Clearly the Best."<br /> <br /> Now, while we are talking about astronomy, let's do something fun: Click the following: <a href="http://outreach.jach.hawaii.edu/birthstars/">http://outreach.jach.hawaii.edu/birthstars/</a> and you will be able to find your "birthday star," that is, a star which is located just the right distance from Earth that the light we see from that star today was emitted at about the time of your birthday! Try it! Of course, your "birthday star" will change with time (to further and further stars). Check back often and see how it progresses!
  • One more look over the lovely Poli'ahu. <br /> <br /> As the sky darkened further, we re-entered the bus and descended a bit to a parking area nearer to the Visitor Information Center. There, our guides set up 2 11 inch Celestron telescopes and gave us a totally cool tour of the night sky!<br /> <br /> Even with all these observatories, less than half of all applications for use are approved. EVERY night is spoken for, usually at least a year in advance. Imagine you are an astronomer, or an astronomy student who has spent the last 4 years working on your doctorate. You need to make observations with the Keck (or another one of these telescopes). You have to have your application approved (more than a year in advance). Then, if the night rolls around when you are the one on the slate and it is NOT one of the 300 nights per year of clear weather, you simply have to get back to the end of the line again and submit your application all over. All the rest of the nights for the next year are already spoken for.....
  • And with THAT thought, we return to the Rainbow Plantation and frolic with some of the inhabitants.<br /> <br /> By the way, now that you've seen all the observatories from ground level, bring up Google Earth and type in Keck Observatory. You will get an amazing arial view of the place! I didn't know until too late that one can go through visitor galleries in most of the observatories, but one must make reservations and be there earlier in the day than what we were. THAT is one thing I hope to do on our NEXT trip, likely in 2010! For anyone headed to Big Island, I very HIGHLY recommend Mauna Kea Summit Tours. You can learn more and book your tour at <a href="http://www.maunakea.com/">http://www.maunakea.com/</a>. As far as I know, I will not make any commission.
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  • And then off to another traditional sacred place.
  • We are standing on ancient Royal Grounds, and I don't mean expensive, old, used coffee. The High Chief (ali'i) and his entourage were the only ones allowed here. For a commoner to stand here was kapu (forbidden) and, as with any official kapu of the day, would result in death. However, the "hut" you see just to the right of the coconut trees was a mausoleum (Hale o Keawe), where the bones of the ali'i (High Chiefs) were placed after death. It was believed that the departed ali'i had the power to pardon. Therefore, the land just adjacent to the Hale o Keawe was the Place of Refuge (Pu'uhonua). Anyone who broke a kapu, or was an enemy combatant, or committed any crime, was officially untouchable if he made it to the Pu'uhonua. No blood could be shed within its confines. While enemy combatants had to remain until the end of the war (whereupon they then owed their allegiance to whoever won the war), others were free to return home within a day or so of reaching there. So, if your neighbor wronged you, even heinously, and then made it to the Place of Refuge, you were expected to live with him in peace and not seek revenge of any sort once he returned to your neighborhood.
  • Bernie, a Quebecer bicycler, was our neighbor at the Rainbow Plantation. He joined us on this outing. Here you see him and Bev at a Kōnane game board. We didn't actually take the time to learn the rules (which were available at the Ranger's office), but, from Bev's expression, I wonder if Bernie should quickly head for the Place of Refuge!
  • Traditional outriggers. According to the ranger, the near one was made very recently and the ones across the longhouse were made more than 200 years ago. I don't know if they have just forgotten how to preserve them or if use somehow polishes them with time. I guess I'm more polished than I used to be. In fact, sometimes I kinda' think I'm close to being "polished off....."
  • According to Mark Twain, in his infamous LETTERS FROM HAWAII, this very stone was the favorite resting place of Keoua, the ali'i (high chief) of the Kona district.
  • It was a special place for Bev, too.
  • Ki'i (wooden images) stand guard over the Hale o Keawe (royal mausoleum). I'm not sure whether this is still true or not, but historically (before arrival of metal implements) such wooden figures were carved using stones quarried from high up on Mauna Kea (very near where some of the previous photos were taken). Because of the way the lava had oozed up and then contacted ice and hardened instantly, it formed rock which could be tooled to be extremely sharp. When Captain Cooke arrived, he remarked that the figures here were made much more skillfully than what they were on any of the other islands he had visited. It is thought by many historians to be because of the presence of the chiseling rock from Mauna Kea that such life-like carving was possible. In ancient times, those who journeyed to the upper elevations, quarried the rock, tooled the rock, and then carried it down for the artisans to use were paid much reverence.
  • Thanks, Bernie, for this photo of Bev and me standing by the heart-shaped corner stone of this ancient temple platform.
  • I'll let Bev tell you (in the comments section below) about this pan drum and these people.
  • Considering that you had never played one before, you were able to get some very nice sounding tunes from it!

  • t

    on May 5, 2009

    ...imagine yourself a bee...
    ....imagine yourself attracted to bright colors...
    ...imagine yourself bursting-at-the-seams from all that fine necter...
    ...imagine yourself at the Hyatt...
    ...
    ..
    .
    !

  • BeverLi

    on April 25, 2009

    Exquisite!

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