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Mauna Kea
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Two mountains dominate the Big Island, Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea. This photo shows the slopes halfway up Mauna Kea. Mauna Loa means "dark mountain" and Mauna Kea means "white mountain." In the winter, Mauna Kea lives up to its name and is often covered with fierce snowstorms. However, its location in the middle of the Pacific and the high altitude (over 13,000 feet) combine to make Mauna Kea one of the top places in the world for astronomical observation. In this photo of Mauna Kea, it is just possible to see white dots on the top right summit area; these are astronomical telescopes.
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