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Mauna Loa Solar Observatory (MLSO) is a Solar Observatory on Mauna Loa in Hawaii. Its altitude is 3394 meters (11135 feet). It is operated by High Altitude Observatory (HAO), a unit of NCAR (National Center for Atmospheric Research). The unit's focus is solar phenomena that affect Earth, i.e., space weather. The MLSO is co-located with (or part of) the Mauna Loa Observatory (MLO), which is an atmospheric observatory rather than an astronomy observatory. MLSO instruments:
Former instruments:
Coronal Solar Magnetism Observatory (COSMO) is a plan for three new instruments, one of which is completed (K-Cor).
Note that a November 2022 Mauna Loa eruption took MLSO (and MLO) out of service, blocking power and access roads, leading to an extended outage. (One reason for the long outage has been lava remaining too hot for construction.) As of January 2026, a new access road is scheduled for completion in March 2026 and the MLSO is expected to resume operation about a month after access is restored.
The Hawaiian Islands, which feature tall mountain peaks with dry air and dark sky, also host observatories on Mauna Kea (Mauna Kea Observatories), also on the island of Hawaii, and on Haleakala (Haleakala Observatory), on the island of Maui.