the room when it opens. “It’s like stepping into a freezer at Costco,” Hickey explained beforehand. At both Subaru and Keck, visitors were taken into control rooms where workers operate the telescopes. As it was a Saturday, many of the workers, most of whom are from Hawaii Island, were absent, tour guides noted. But the control room at Subaru wasn’t entirely empty. Hanging up were several teru teru bozu, ghostlike puppets made of tissue paper. Yuko Kakazu, Subaru spokeswoman, said they are prayers for good weather. While Maunakea’s skies are clear about 300 days a year, a single overcast night can ruin an astronomer’s research plans. “You are desperate when you have bad weather, right?” she said. “You just make teru teru bozu and you hang it.” While Keck has the largest mirrors on the mountain, Subaru boasts the biggest single piece mirror at 8.2 meters. It also hosts a unique instrument — the Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam — which specializes in widefield views of the universe and mapping the cosmos. “That’s why we build this telescope,” Kakazu said. “If you want to map the universe, it’s better to use this camera instead of Hubble. “ Subaru is unique in another way — its telescope enclosure is more rectangular than curved. Kakazu said its doors open horizontally like a Japanese sliding door, and the telescope “bows” as it is put into position. Subaru also is the only observatory to have done regular tours, apart from Kama‘aina Observatory Experience. Cartoons from anime artists who have visited are drawn as signatures on a tool used to transport instruments. Hunter, who helps lead the tours, said the program’s purpose is to show “the wonder of Maunakea, in all aspects.” In that, visitors that day said they succeeded. William “Wolfman” Gass, of Volcano, said he wished the program was started earlier. “I think with all the controversy and stuff I think it’s a pity this wasn’t available for the past 10 or 15 years and got the local people out to see what’s going on here and to take advantage of it all,” he said. “I think we have a certain understanding of the importance of this location and how we have to achieve a balance between cultural issues and science.” Email Tom Callis at tcallis@ hawaiitribune-herald.com. 14 Sunday, December 24 2017 TOUR From page 13 HOLLYN JOHNSON/Tribune-Herald Ed Hickey, summit tour host, talks with guests in the control room of the W. M. Keck Observatory in September. Hawaii Tribune-Herald
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