Mauna Kea, also called Mauna a Wākea in Hawaiian culture, is a dormant volcano on the island of Hawaii, standing at 4,205m. Much of the mountain is under water; when measured from its oceanic base, Mauna Kea is over 10,000m tall, significantly taller than Mount Everest. It is about a million years old, and last erupted 6,000 to 4,000 years ago. In Hawaiian mythology, the peaks of the island of Hawaii are sacred, and Mauna Kea is the most sacred of all.
An ancient law allowed only high-ranking aliʻi to visit its peak. Ancient Hawaiians living on the slopes of Mauna Kea relied on its extensive forests for food, and quarried the dense volcano-glacial basalts on its flanks for tool production. With its high altitude, dry environment, and stable airflow, Mauna Kea's summit is one of the best sites in the world for astronomical observation. Since the creation of an access road in 1964, 13 telescopes funded by 11 countries have been constructed at the summit.
About the stamps
On the postcard 2034
About the first stamp, featuring a portrait of George Washington, I wrote here. The second is the last of three stamps issued as part of a civil rights series commemorating courage, strength and equality in America, about which I wrote here.
On the postcard 2035
The first stamp, depicting Spicebush Swallowtail, is part of a definitive series with butterflies, about which I wrote here. The second stamp is part of a series which honors America’s industrial workers, named Building a Nation, about which I wrote here.
References
Mauna Kea - Wikipedia
Sender 2034, 2035: Denise
2034: Sent from Greenvale (New York / United States), on 28.02.2014
2035: Sent from Greenvale (New York / United States), on 04.02.2014
Photo: Peter French
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