Hawaii 2012
Hawaii: An Astrophysical and Natural History Experience, January 5-13
Trip Home
Itinerary
Enrichment Lecturer
What to Expect
Details & Pricing
Hold my Spot
With MIT Professor Edmund Bertschinger
8 nights/9 days
Overnights
• 3 nights at the Makena Beach & Golf Resort, Maui
• 2 nights at the Kilauea Lodge, Hawaii
• 3 nights at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort, Hawaii
Physical Activity Rating: Level 2
Co-sponsor: Exclusive to the MIT community
Maximum group size: 21 travelers
View Trip Flyer (PDF)
The summit of Mauna Kea penetrates the clouds that block out the lights of coastal towns below, and provides a prime location for some of the most sophisticated observatories in the world. Accompanied by MIT Professor Edmund Bertschinger, head of MIT’s Department of Physics, you will be given access to laboratories and observatories not open to the general public, including the Keck Observatory. You will meet with researchers, learn about their work, and peer through some of the instruments with which they conduct it.
This program also provides plenty of time to experience Hawaii’s unique natural history. Learn about the islands’ teeming wonderland of tropical marine life during a whale-watching cruise and a tour of the Maui Ocean Center. With local naturalists, explore high mountain elevations on trails where many endemic and endangered species still survive. Observe how the islands’ volcanic origins created dramatically different landscapes from island to island, and see vivid examples of ongoing volcanic activity on Kilauea, one of the world’s most active volcanoes.
If you have any questions or to make a reservation, please call the MIT Alumni Travel Program at 800-992-6749, or email us at compass@mit.edu.
