Hawaii may be one of the world's top tourist destinations, but the Taiwanese astronomers are not here to play. They work all night and sleep the days away, never enjoying the sun, sand, and water sports for which the islands are known. (Chiong Chau-ching)

Looking for the origins of the universe amongst the stars in the boundless heavens.... The work of astronomers sounds far more romantic than that of your typical scientist. And when you consider that an astronomer's job can include stargazing in one of the world's premier tourist destinations, well, it's enough to inspire envy.

But astronomical research isn't quite as wondrous as most would imagine. To get their observations, these scientists must leave their homes far behind, live on a topsy-turvy schedule, and learn to breathe thin, low-pressure alpine air.

"The initial response of many students when they hear I'm going to Hawaii to make observations is, 'Wow! That's cool!'" laughs Proty Jiun-huei Wu, an associate professor in the Department of Physics at National Taiwan University (NTU) and a scientist on the AMiBA project. "But you should see the pained expressions when I ask those who've been with me before to come again."