WEBVTT

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[dramatic percussion music]

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>> HEY, WELCOME
TO "NASA LAUNCHPAD."

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I'M YOUR HOST, JUSTIN TULLY.

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OKAY, SO I KNOW HOW MUCH
THE STARS FASCINATE YOU

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AND THE THOUGHT OF LOOKING
THROUGH A SPECIAL TELESCOPE

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TO SEE THINGS NOBODY ELSE
HAS EVER SEEN.

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WELL, EVER THOUGHT
ABOUT VISITING THE OBSERVATORIES

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ON MAUNA KEA
IN BEAUTIFUL HAWAII?

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FIRST STOP WOULD BE
THE VISITOR INFORMATION STATION.

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HERE YOU CAN LEARN
ABOUT THE MOUNTAIN,

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THE TELESCOPES,
AND THE UNIVERSE

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AND VIEW THE STARS AFTER DARK

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USING PORTABLE TELESCOPES
AT THIS SITE.

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OF COURSE, YOU CAN'T ACTUALLY

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LOOK THROUGH THE TELESCOPES
AT THE OBSERVATORIES.

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IN FACT, NO VISITORS
ARE EVEN ALLOWED

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UP TO THE SUMMIT AFTER DARK.

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TO GET TO THE OBSERVATORIES
THEMSELVES,

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YOU HAVE ANOTHER LONG DRIVE
TO THE TOP OF THE SUMMIT.

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THE HIGH ALTITUDE
OF THE OBSERVATORY

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CAN CAUSE SERIOUS HEALTH RISKS,
INCLUDING SEVERE HEADACHES,

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BREATHING DIFFICULTIES,
COUGHING,

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BLUE LIPS OR FINGERNAILS,

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AND MAY IMPAIR PHYSICAL
AND MENTAL ACTIVITY.

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AND THE ROAD CAN BE DANGEROUS,
ESPECIALLY IN SNOW.

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SNOW.
WAIT A MINUTE.

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I THOUGHT WE WERE GOING
TO HAWAII,

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YOU KNOW: SAND, SURF,
BEAUTIFUL BEACHES, AND SUNTANS.

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WHO SAID ANYTHING ABOUT SNOW?

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BUT TO SEE
THE HAWAIIAN OBSERVATORIES,

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YOU MUST GO UP...

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UP, UP, TO THE TOP OF MAUNA KEA,

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THE TALLEST MOUNTAIN
IN THE WORLD.

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YEAH, I KNOW;

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MOUNT EVEREST IS THE HIGHEST
MOUNTAIN IN THE WORLD,

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STANDING AT NEARLY 8,850 METERS
ABOVE SEA LEVEL.

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BUT MAUNA KEA
IS THE TALLEST MOUNTAIN,

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RISING ABOUT 10,200 METERS
FROM THE PACIFIC OCEAN FLOOR.

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ONLY ABOUT 4,200 METERS,

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OR NEARLY 14,000 FEET,
OF MAUNA KEA MOUNTAIN

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SIT ABOVE SEA LEVEL.

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EVEN USING
THE SEA LEVEL MEASUREMENT,

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THAT MAKES MAUNA KEA THE HIGHEST
ISLAND MOUNTAIN IN THE WORLD.

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AND THAT DEFINITELY MAKES IT
HIGH ENOUGH FOR COLD WEATHER,

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WITH TEMPS BELOW FREEZING
AND OCCASIONAL SNOW.

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WHAT'S SO IMPORTANT
ABOUT AN ISLAND OBSERVATORY

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THAT SITS ON A MOUNTAIN?

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WELL, ATOP MAUNA KEA,
YOU'RE GOING UP ABOVE

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OVER 40% OF EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE.

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YOU'RE LITERALLY
ABOVE THE CLOUDS.

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NO WONDER IT'S HARD TO BREATHE.

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AND AS YOU CAN SEE,

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THERE ARE A LOT
OF OBSERVATORIES UP HERE.

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WHY?

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THE THINNER AIR AT THIS ALTITUDE
HAS LESS TURBULENCE,

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AND LESS TURBULENCE MEANS

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THAT THE IMAGES OF STARS
AND PLANETS ARE MUCH SHARPER.

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PARTICLES IN THE AIR

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ARE WHY WE HAVE BLUE SKIES
AND COLORFUL SUNSETS.

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BUT CHECK THIS OUT.

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TAKE AN AQUARIUM OF COOL WATER
AND PUT AN EYE CHART BEHIND IT.

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YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE THE
EYE CHART PRETTY CLEARLY, RIGHT?

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DUH, WATER'S CLEAR.

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OR IS IT?

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IF YOU WERE TO HEAT UP
THE WATER, LIKE THIS,

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NOT QUITE SO CLEAR, HUH?

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SO JUST LIKE THE CLARITY
OF THE WATER

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HAS TO DO WITH TEMPERATURE,

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SO DOES THE CLARITY OF THE SKY
FOR TELESCOPES TO LOOK THROUGH.

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BUT IF YOU GET ABOVE THE CLOUDS,

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THE ATMOSPHERE
IS GOING TO BE DRIER

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BECAUSE OF
THE COLDER TEMPERATURE.

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SO MAUNA KEA'S PROPORTION
OF CLEAR NIGHTS

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IS AMONG THE HIGHEST
IN THE WORLD,

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SINCE THE CLOUDS STAY AT LOWER
ALTITUDES MOST OF THE TIME.

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ANOTHER THING THAT MAUNA KEA
HAS GOING FOR IT

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IS THAT IT'S ON AN ISLAND
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN,

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AND EVEN ON THE ISLAND,

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IT'S A GOOD DISTANCE
AWAY FROM THE NEAREST CITY.

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HAVE YOU EVER TRIED
TO LOOK AT THE STARS

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WHEN YOU WERE IN A CITY?

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IT'S A LOT HARDER TO DO SO
IN THAT CITY

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THAN IF YOU
WERE TO GO STARGAZING

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IN A MORE RURAL AREA,

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BECAUSE OF A LITTLE SOMETHING
CALLED LIGHT POLLUTION.

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HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU LIVE
IN AN AREA WITH LIGHT POLLUTION?

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WELL, ONE WAY TO CHECK
IS PRETTY SIMPLE.

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GO OUTSIDE AT NIGHT,
LET YOUR EYES ADJUST,

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AND SEE IF YOU CAN SEE
THE MILKY WAY.

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THAT'S THE MILKY BAND
ACROSS THE SKY,

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CONSISTING OF THE HUNDREDS
OF MILLIONS OF STARS

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THAT MAKE UP OUR OWN GALAXY.

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BUT CHANCES ARE,
TWO OUT OF THREE OF YOU

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WON'T BE ABLE TO SEE IT.

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THAT'S RIGHT;
HERE IN THE U.S.,

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ALMOST 2/3 OF US LIVE IN PLACES
THAT HAVE LIGHT POLLUTION.

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BUT UP IN A REMOTE LOCATION
LIKE MAUNA KEA,

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UP AND AWAY
FROM POPULATED AREAS,

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LIGHT POLLUTION WILL BE MINIMAL,

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ALLOWING OBSERVERS TO SEE
MORE CLEARLY OUT INTO SPACE.

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THAT'S KIND OF
THE SAME PRINCIPLE

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BEHIND SPACE TELESCOPES,
SUCH AS HUBBLE.

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ORBITING OUR PLANET,

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HUBBLE AND OTHER
SPACE TELESCOPES

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DON'T HAVE TO DEAL
WITH OUR TURBULENT ATMOSPHERE

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AND PARTICLES FLOATING
AROUND IN IT,

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SO THEY GET MUCH CLEARER IMAGES
RIGHT FROM THE START.

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BUT THERE IS A TRADE-OFF.

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WHILE HUBBLE DOES GET
CLEARER IMAGES,

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IT'S ALSO NOT AS EASY
TO MAINTAIN.

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WITH THESE GROUND-BASED
OBSERVATORIES,

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IT'S A LOT EASIER
TO GET AN ENGINEER OUT

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IF SOMETHING
WERE TO NEED ADJUSTMENT.

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OH, AND IF YOU DO DECIDE
TO VISIT MAUNA KEA,

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TAKE YOUR COAT

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AND REMEMBER
TO WEAR YOUR SUN BLOCK,

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BECAUSE WITHOUT THE PROTECTION
OF THE THICKER ATMOSPHERE,

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YOU WILL BE EXPOSED
TO STRONG ULTRAVIOLET RAYS

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THAT CAN CAUSE
REALLY BAD SUNBURNS

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IN A VERY SHORT TIME.

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BUT, HEY, MORE ABOUT THAT
ON ANOTHER EPISODE.

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THAT'S ALL FOR NOW.
I'M JUSTIN TULLY.

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THANKS FOR WATCHING,

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AND WE'LL CATCH YOU NEXT TIME
ON "NASA LAUNCHPAD."