Ascension?

I've mentioned this off and on, but today is the day!  In a few hours, we'll pick up the giant 4x4 needed to ascend to the summit of Mauna Kea.

Call this the 'before' photo:

[Original: 'Where I'll be tonight' on flickr]

For those of you totally geeking out on this harebrained scheme, a map of the telescopes at the summit and a map of where all this goodness is on the Big Island, anyway.  Both are from the Mauna Kea Weather Center.

What we're expecting:

Summit temperatures will be near 1 C for the night. Winds will be from the ESE at 10-20 mph, with seeing around 0.8 arcseconds. Precipitable water is expected to be in the 1-1.5 mm range for the first half of the night and 1.5-2 mm range for the second half. ... The banding cirrus setting up to the south will continue to drift northward, blocking most of the sky (with the possible exception to the northwest) probably for the remainder of the forecast period.

Or, as Brad pointed out: "Cirrus clouds make great sunsets."

The sun sets at 6:01 pm local time (just after midnight Eastern time) and we'll be there, fingers firmly crossed.
 

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