Since infrared radiation is very easily
absorbed by water, and there is a lot of water in our atmosphere,
it is quite hard for any infrared radiation from space to
reach the surface of the earth. If astronomers observe in
the infrared from the ground, it is necessary locate their
observatories on the peak of a high mountain such as Mauna
Kea in Hawaii. Canada, in partnership with the Netherlands
and the United Kingdom, operates the Joint Astronomy Center
on Mauna
Kea, which has the largest ground-based infrared telescope.
