Photograph by John McDonald
Over the peak of Pu'u Poliahu can be seen the faint glow of the town of Kailua-Kona and the Keahole-Kona International Airport. Light from Kona, mostly obscured by the landscape, is very faint to the naked eye.
In this image, we have captured the setting crescent moon and its mostly-flat spectrum. On nights of moonlight from first quarter through full to last quarter, the Moon is, of course, the major source of light in the sky and at the summit of Mauna Kea.
A small amount of incandescent light within the dome of JCMT is also visible. The amber parking lights of a vehicle moving about just below the Keck I telescope and another at the site of the Smithsonian Submillimeter Array are also captured, along with a few faint lights along Mamalahoa Highway and the landing lights of an aircraft approaching the airport.
