Haleakala

On a fine Maui day we drove to the summit of the Haleakala Volcano. Haleakala is an active, but not currently erupting, volcano that last released its fury in 1790. Over 200 years later the land surrounding the lava flow is still barren. The summit rises 10,023 feet above sea level. The crater is 3,000 feet deep, 7.5 miles long and 2.5 miles wide - a total of 22 miles in circumference.




Located on the volcano sumit is the Haleakala High Altitude astronomical research observatory. At 10,000 feet elevation, Haleakala is above one third of the earth's atmosphere giving it some of the best astronomical conditions for ground-based observatories of our neighboring planets and stars.