The world’s premier observatories and a cradle of Native Hawaiian culture - welcome to Mauna Kea, the “white mountain”. Rising nearly 14,000 feet into the clear skies over the Big Island of Hawaii, Mauna Kea is a special place – a sacred mountain to be approached with reverence and respect. At its summit regions, often blanketed by snow, are historic Hawaiian sites, rare flora and fauna, spectacular vistas and, for astronomers, the best base on Earth for exploring the universe.