Caught Between Earth and Sky

The silver dome of the Gemini North telescope, one half of the International Gemini Observatory, operated by NSF NOIRLab, catches the setting Sun, caught between the red-hued earth of the Maunakea volcano and an inky-blue sky. The scale of astronomical infrastructure can be difficult to grasp from images, particularly when telescopes are located in vast landscapes under wide skies. However, if you look closely the staircases winding up the side of Gemini North are visible — revealing the true size of this telescope. The dome of Gemini North — and that of its twin, Gemini South in Chile — is around 46 meters (150 feet) across, meaning that the two telescopes side-by-side would almost fit in an entire soccer field!

This photo was taken as part of the recent NOIRLab 2022 Photo Expedition to all the NOIRLab sites.