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Well Easter Sunday we headed up the mountain for another great tour of Subaru, and a quick one through CFHT.

Things started off in the Subaru control room. Here are a few pictures of some of the different stations they have for telescope operators, observers etc....

Here is Elizabeth explaining to us about some of the telescope operations...We were also joined by Pam and Pete from the Gem State.

They not only have a whole lot more computer screens in Subaru than we do over at CFHT, but they also have the infamous massage chair sitting in their control room....must be nice

After getting a thorough understanding of how the telescope actually functions and is controlled in the control room we went out to see the blue monster.

Here's everyone is take a peek at the underside of the telescope, with the primary mirror cell and the instruments connected to the back

Pam and Pete also graciously helped Flat Stanley join in on things

Looking up at the side of the telescope and the secondary mirror

The inside of the dome

Next we ventured on to see all the different secondary mirrors, so here is where they are stored and even a quick glimpse at one of the mirrors.

I shouldn't have eaten such a large breakfast...not sure if this elevator can support me

We also went up in the dome to walk around the upper levels around the telescope so here are some views looking down onto the telescope

We had to hold Flat Stanley back...he really wanted to operate the big crane

We went to the middle of the dome structure to see how the building was able to move around. The first two pictures here are of all the wheels and tracks that are needed to rotate Subaru so they can actually look anywhere they want. The third picture is looking at the telescope pier.

Next we went down to the ground level to see some of the mirror coating facilities at Subaru

There's the contraption that they use to acid wash the mirror

Then one of the large structures they use to hold the primary mirror and transport it around

and finally the actual chamber they use to put the coatings on the mirror.

In the middle of the building on the ground level were also the telescope coils, which basically allow power to get up to all the rotating parts of the facility while at the same time avoiding wires to snap...a necessity for alt-az telescopes

Now which of these should I unplug?

After seeing the inside of the observatory it was time to check out the catwalk.

As soon as you walk out on the Subaru catwalk your view is dominated by the two Keck telescopes, as well as NASA IRTF behind them.

Here's Pete and Pam posing with the ridge telescopes in the back ground

The ridge telescopes, from left to right, CFHT, Gemini, UH 88inch, and UKIRT

The tin can (24 inch) with its warm room and outhouses

ahhhh home

Cal tech sub-millimeter observatory

The SMA

After Subaru we ventured up to CFHT. Things were a bit crowded but we did get to witness the first light for WIRCam which was quite fun. I'll spare you most of the CFHT pictures since there are plenty on other pages.

Trevor stopped by and gave us his Mercury impression as well as showed Flat Stanley one of the food cabinets