Mauna Kea Observatory on Hawaii's Big Island. Photo / Thinkstock
Gaze skywards at one of these five cracking American observatories.
Big skies in Hawaii
You'll find Mauna Kea Observatory on Hawaii's Big Island, on the top of the inactive Mauna Kea volcano. The observatory soars above 40 per cent of Earth's atmosphere. There is minimal light pollution and it houses the world's largest array of optical, infrared, and
submillimetre astronomical equipment. You need a 4WD to get to the 4200m summit, which is worth the visit for the views, but the private facility is not open to the public. If you want to stargaze, do so at night at the information station at 2900m.
First lights in Wisconsin
Yerkes Observatory dates back to 1987 when George Ellery Hale founded the observatory, often billed as "the birthplace of modern astrophysics". It sits at 334m at Williams Bay, Wisconsin. Financier Charles Yerkes initially paid for one telescope but was persuaded by Hale and the University of Chicago to fund the observatory. On Saturday, the Yerkes is open for free public tours and visitors can marvel at the 30m dome which houses the famed 101cm Refractor, the world's biggest lens-type telescope.
