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CAU > Seminars and Study Tours > Cosmic and Terrestrial Landscapes of Hawaii

Cosmic and Terrestrial Landscapes of Hawaii

April 22-28, 2006

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From their verdant, mid-Pacific platform, the Hawaiian Islands offer unforgettable testimony to the processes creating heaven and earth. Here, we can watch volcanic forces forming the highest mountains in the world (Hawaii Island, from its base beneath the Pacific to its summit above the clouds, is taller than Mount Everest). Just a few miles away, perched atop Mauna Kea, we can meet with astronomers and inspect the facilities at one of the world's most important scientific centers for the study of the universe. And in between, we can enjoy swimming, snorkeling, and sailing in the warm blue waters of the Pacific.

Led by Yervant Terzian, the David C. Duncan Professor in the Physical Sciences, past chairman of Cornell's Department of Astronomy, recipient of the Clark Distinguished Teaching Award, and leader of innumerable CAU seminars and study tours, we plan a varied exploration of land, sea, and stars, with lectures and discussions throughout the program.

We'll begin on the Big Island (Hawaii) with a stay by the ocean at the excellent Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel on the Kohala coast north of Kailua-Kona. From sea level we will make a specially arranged full-day trip to visit the giant telescopes at the Mauna Kea Observatories and to meet and learn from the astronomers there. A visit to the observatories, set atop the fourteen-thousand-foot summit of the world's highest volcano, is a rare privilege, experienced by few outside the international scientific community, and specially arranged by Professor Terzian. (Please note that due to the elevation, this visit must exclude anyone with respiratory or heart problems.) From the heights, we'll next explore the depths, in a full-day visit to Volcanoes National Park, whose craters, lava floes, lava tubes, and fumaroles offer stark, fascinating witness to terrestrial formation in progress.

Leaving the Big Island, we'll fly to Maui for the remainder of our week. At the Maui Prince Resort near Makena, our beachfront home, swimmers, snorkelers, and sunbathers in the group can simply stroll out the door to one of Hawaii's most pleasant coves. From Makena, we'll make the scenic drive to the top of Haleakala Volcano, look into one of the Earth's most vast and awesome volcanic craters (the caldera at Haleakala is as large as Manhattan Island), visit with scientists working at the Haleakala astronomical observatories, and observe the rare, beautiful botanic forms that have evolved on Haleakala's slopes. We'll also venture out to sea off the Maui coast for a day of marine studies and whale watching, and we'll set aside time to enjoy the many pleasures of our resort. During the week, Professor Terzian will present lectures including "The Nature of the Universe," "Recent Advances in Cosmology," and "The Search for Life in the Universe."

The program fee of $3,290 (per-person, double-occupancy) includes all lodging, most meals, all land and interisland air transportation, all day trips and site visits, admission fees, taxes, gratuities, escort services, and the full educational program. The supplement for single occupancy is $325. Air transportation to and from Hawaii is not included in the program fee, but Siemer & Hand Travel of San Francisco will be happy to help you with arrangements. This is not a physically strenuous program, but we will be at very high elevations on Mauna Kea and Haleakala. Weather this time of year should be delightful on both islands, although a rain shower is always a possibility.