When we were living in Kaaawa, we debated for years over what islands were visible during our morning walks on the beach. Here’s a link to one such discussion, although there were many others over the years.
So here’s what was visible on the beach the morning of January 1, 2018. It’s an enlargement of one section of a photo.
Click on the photo to see a larger version.
There were some clouds on the horizon, which reduced visibility. I’ve marked three areas. The first, on the left closest to Koko Head, is marked “A”. I’m pretty sure this is part of Molokai, perhaps the middle of the island. If I’m not mistaken, the lowest part of Molokai can’t be seen from this part of Oahu.
The second point, marked “B”, looks very much like one of the mountains we could see from Kaaawa. From that side of the island, I thought that we were seeing part of Haleakala, perhaps looming up over the high end of Molokai. But from Kahala, I’m not sure at all.
And that leaves the question, what’s that smaller blip that I’ve marked as “C”?
Remember that the curvature of the earth means that as the distance gets greater, the mountains have to be taller in order to be seen from the beach in Kahala.
Theoretically, we should be able to see parts of Molokai, the highest part of Haleakala, and the higher elevations on Lanai. Hawaii Island is just too far away for us to see Mauna Kea from this part of Oahu. I don’t know whether it might appear from higher elevations.
Here’s a link to a NASA photo showing the islands as they appear from space. It helps to imagine how the islands are aligned.
Here’s an article with a good discussion of the earth’s curvature, along with a chart showing how high objects must be to be seen at various distances.
One thing I could do is drive up the hill towards Kaimuki on Pahoa Avenue and try the view from there. Much more should be visible than from our vantage point on the beach, and it might become more self-explanatory.
In the meantime, though, perhaps someone’s already figured this all out and can share their knowledge.
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I feel sure we can see Maui sometimes when driving around to Sandy Beach, in addition to Molokai. Lanai…..not sure. A friend sent me an e-mail from Lihue not long ago and she could see Oahu. Unusual.
A senior Hawaiian Airlines pilot and I once discussed at length the prospect of scoping the island of Kauai from here on Oahu if one were far enough in altitude up the Waianae Range. We had his charts and logarithmic tables and maps but we had no mountains in Kailua and the subject was dropped.
But one Saturday in the 1990s I happened upon a spot on the zigzagging Peacock Flats trail directly overlooking Dillingham Airfield (heretofore to be refered to as “point D”, an antipode of course to Kahala Beach and any dubious pursuits as above directed toward the less promising east end of the Hawaiian Islands).
And there it was, due to an exceptionally hair-raising high pressure system a few dozen miles to the west, a distinct sugar cane fire emanating at a 90 degree angle into the clearest of atmospheres, obviously from the vicinity of Koloa, Kauai.
It takes an entire 4 hours to go up and over Peacock Flats to the rim of Makaua Valley and then along hours of the Mokuleia Trail to exit on Farrington at the huge Dillingham Ranch coconut grove. I had no choice up there but to listen throughout to KUAI, the Eleele, Kauai radio station and the programing of enormous diversity done by The Ukulele Lady, a part-time dj and full-time entertainer, Cindy Combs (according to http://www.dancingcat.com). It was world-wizened and earth shattering unrepetitive music, a Brigadoon of good fortune, not to mention good weather.
Point C would be Lanai. It has a distinctive shape, distinctive in context anyway. From Makapuu Point, if the sky is clear, you can get a better view of the near end of Molokai and, behind it, East Molokai, the West Maui mountains, and Haleakala, with Lanai on the side. You can, of course, also see some of this from the top of the hill in Kaimuki, say on Waialae Avenue or by Leahi Hospital.