Lower-altitude stargazing spot on Mauna Kea?
 

My husband and I are going to BI this summer, and the stargazing on Mauna Kea sounds amazing. Only problem: I have issues with altitude. I get short of breath on planes because of the 8000-foot pressurization, and got seriously ill after visiting the Grand Canyon. Our BI visit is at the beginning of our Hawaii trip, so I don't want to risk it!

So, is there a lookout somewhere along the drive up Mauna Kea, or another great stargazing spot on the Big Island? Or will EVERY spot be fabulous compared to light-polluted NJ?

Thanks! ((R))

Every spot will be fabulous compared to most heavily populated mainland areas. The Mauna Kea Resort offers stargazing at the resort - for, I think, $25. per person. And you have a guide to tell you what you're seeing.

Be sure and look up at the stars while you're in the Volcano National Park area also.

Nothing will be quite the same as the rarified atmospere at 10,000 feet where the Mauna Kea Visitor's Center is or especially at almost 14,000 feet where the big scopes (which you can't look through anywhay) are. BUT, we're tourists not researchers. I wouldn't risk getting seriously ill.

Thanks crazy4hawaii! That's what I was hoping. We're spending a full day at the VNP, so we'll definitely stick around for some stargazing!

The drive to the visitors center on Mauna Kea, is not difficult, and if you want to see stars, that's the place, above the haze and light pollution. It can easily be made in a couple of hours from Kailua Kona in a two wheel drive vehicle. They set up very nice telescopes and do a wonderful interpretive show. We rented a 4 by and went to the top as well to watch the sunset, though I don't think I would want to drive from the summit to the visitors center in the pitch black.

If you like astronomy, take the time to go at least to the vistiors center, you won't regret the time spent. Even my teenaged daughters enjoyed the experience, and they can be a tough crowd (no cell phone service up there).

If she felt bad at 8000 feet then I'm not so sure about the Visitor's Center... Won't run into much haze or light pollution at Volcano. Funny, but the bit of haze caused by the volcanic emissions and their run off into the water (VOG) drift over to Kona in the evening, leaving the skies clear at Volcano Village. But, if you want to look into a telescope, you'll need to go to the places listed above. Sometimes I think it's just as cool to look up and see that velvety blackness punched full of little white holes - and the MILKY WAY!

Having said that, my husband, the major astronomy dude, will be hauling my booty all the way to the top!

I definitely assume the drive to the visitor's center would be worth the time. I'm not worried about that -- just about getting sick and wiping out the next day or two of my trip while I recover. Ugh! So we'll definitely plan to hang out in the VNP area a little later so we can get the view from there. Thanks again!

We would like to go up the Mauna Kea visitor's center. We have a 5 and 12 y/o kids. Does anybody know if there's an age limit to the visitor's center? I've looked up the tour going up to the telescope area, and the age limit there is 16 y/o and up.

thanks

The visitor center has a very good web site http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/info/vis/
I'm sure it would tell you, or if you call the people there are very helpful. We called to make sure there was no cloud cover before we left to drive up. I doubt there is a problem with a five year old as the vistiors center is not any higher than many colorado ski resorts. If you take the 5 year old, keep a close eye on him as it is incredibly dark, and you really cannot see more than a few feet.

I think for just stargazing you can see as much from the V/C as on top, but the sunset from 14,000 feet is incredible.