The summit of Hawai`i Island’s Mauna Kea, where the Subaru Telescope is located, is famous as a place to watch the sunset. In the evening, tour vans ascend and general public sightseers wait expectantly for sundown. It is the busiest time on the summit of Mauna Kea.

In this bustling scene, the researchers who have come to observe are too busy preparing for observations to gaze carefree at the sunset. Are there mistakes in the command files prepared ahead of time? What do the cloud movements look like? Is the division of responsibilities among the team members alright? Then the Sun goes down, the dome opens, night rolls in and observations start! Researchers and the Subaru Telescope staff work together to use the telescope for astronomical observations.

(Author: Hideaki Fujiwara)