April Gallery

Keck I and II telescopes on Mauna Kea, Hawaii

Keck telescopes. Domes of the Keck I (at left) and Keck II optical telescopes seen at sunset at the Mauna Kea observatory in Hawaii, USA. The Orion constellation is seen above them in the sky. Each telescope has a 10 metre diameter mirror to focus light. The mirrors, made up of 36 hexagonal units, are mounted on computer-controlled motors that make tiny adjustments to keep astronomical objects in precise focus. The two telescopes can be used to observe the same object and can have their signals combined by interferometry to obtain a more accurate image. In 1997 the Keck telescopes are the largest optical telescopes in the world

© JOHN SANFORD/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

CAR DRIVES THROUGH SWISS LANDSCAPE AFTER RECENT SNOWFALLS

A lone car drives through snow covered landscape near the village of
Bergdietikon after winter returned to Switzerland April 12. The snow caused
severe traffic problems and thousands seeking a spring-like Easter weekend
in the south met huge traffic jams on the motorways.
NO RIGHTS CLEARANCES OR PERMISSIONS ARE REQUIRED FOR THIS IMAGE REUTERS/Steffen Schmidt PP03110006 - RP1DRIMGFDAA