Submitted by Julia Kausel on the 2022 winter session program in Hawaii sponsored by the Department of Biological Sciences…
Aloha! One of the highlights from this week was visiting Mauna Kea Volcano. This was a really cool experience to witness the beauty of the Island. Many people on our program went to the volcano and hiked to the viewing spot right before sunset. Together, we watched the sunset from above the clouds which is something I had never done before. I was really surprised by how vibrant the colors of sunset are once the sun sets below the line of clouds, I always assumed the most vibrant colors were where the sun was.
After sunset, we stayed at the high elevation and watched as the stars came out. It was amazing seeing how vibrant the stars were. We were able to stay at the viewing point and identify all of the constellations that were visible. I really enjoyed pairing what I learned in class about the topography of the island with all of the plants and animals we saw climbing in elevation up to the viewing point!