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I just got another e-mail from Heidi Hammel. Her observations of the Uranian equinox may not go as planned. It seems Mauna Kea is living up to its name, which means "White Mountain," because it can snow at its 14,000-foot summit any time of the year. I was there in mid-August 2003, and we had to scrape frost off the car window one morning after a night of observing.

Hawaii is having quite a storm right now, and the summit is closed. Since the summit access is by an unpaved switchback road from the Onizuka Center (where the scientists eat and sleep) at about 9300 feet, it's no surprise that is closed on stormy December days.

To get a feel for what Heidi, who is hoping to use the Keck telescope to get pictures of Uranus, and her colleagues, who are hoping to get more infrared data from Deimos and Phobos as Mars nears opposition, are experiencing, visit the web page describing my experience at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF).

Then enjoy the Youtube video "Hotel Mauna Kea," with many of the sights from inside the scientists' living area and inside and outside the IRTF. If you've ever tried to deal with high-altitude life, you'll understand some of the references.

Fred Bortz -- Science and technology books for young readers (www.fredbortz.com) and Science book reviews (www.scienceshelf.com)