With its 8.848 meters above the sea level, Mount Everest is the tallest mountain on the earth, but if we consider measuring mountains from the bottom of the ocean, the highest mountain is the Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano located in the Hawaiian Big Island, with 10.210 meters (more than a km taller than Everest!).
Owing to the dry atmosphere, elevation and stable climate, Mauna Kea is one of the best sites in the world for astronomical observation.
On its summit, there are observatories useful for scientific research, despite not well considered by Native Hawaiians, for whom the summits of the Hawaiian mountains are sacred places.
The MKVIS Maunakea Visitor Station is accessible for tourists.