Images: Observatories at the top of the world

TechRepublic reports: "A dormant volcano in the Hawaiian islands called Mauna Kea is the unlikely home of the most important collection of astronomical observatories in the world. At least it might seem unlikely: the big island of Hawaii is better known for cattle ranches, macadamia nuts and black sand beaches. But because the Mauna Kea summit, at 13,796 feet, is so high in the atmosphere, because it's far from light pollution, and because it's usually free of clouds, it's the best place on the planet for atmospheric and astronomical observations."