Scope Diagram Astrocamera.Net

Summit Sunset - 15 Apr. 2012


Haleakala Sunset

The clear sky and setting sun means that the telescopes of the Maui Space Surveillance System (MSSS) on Haleakala (10,023 ft.) will begin operations shortly. MSSS includes a 3.6 meter telescope housed in the large building. This USAF facility tracks satellites, space "junk", and anything else in orbit near the earth.

On this evening, within an hour of sunset, Jupiter, Venus, Mars, and Saturn were visible. In the distance to the right of the setting sun are the cloud-shrouded West Maui mountains. The highest peak on the other end of Maui reaches 5788 ft.