Mauna Kea Hawaii

Credit: NASA/MRO/LPL/HiRISE

Mauna Kea rises over 10 km (33,000 ft) above the ocean floor, and measured that way would be taller than Mount Everest. It is a sacred mountain for native Hawaiians, and perhaps the best site in the world for large telescopes because of its dry climate and stable air. The two cultures are in conflict now over its future use for a proposed Thirty Meter telescope, while it is still home to the Keck Observatory and other state-of-the-art instruments.