Subaru telescope. Subaru observatory during construction at Mauna Kea in Hawaii, USA. The completed housing is awaiting the installation of the telescope. Subaru's novel structure was designed by computer after wind-tunnel studies of the high winds typical of the Mauna Kea summit; most of the other telescopes at the site are housed in spherical domes. Subaru, a Japanese telescope, is due to begin making observations in the visible and infrared regions of the spectrum in 1999 using an 8.3 metre mirror. Mauna Kea's clear skies and high altitude (4200 metres) make it one of the world's best sites for astronomical observations. Photographed in August 1996.