There are probably one or two hundred billion galaxies out there in the universe. So it’s not entirely surprising—though no less interesting—when some of those galaxies are spotted doing unusual tricks. Here are a couple of the latest galactic antics revealed by astronomers using the Keck Telescopes.
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It was 25 years ago that Hilton Lewis and Allan Honey started working on the Keck telescopes. They and some others are hitting the quarter century milestone and they have a lot to remember and celebrate.
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How many observatories are there on Mauna Kea? The honest answer is 12, or 13, eight or even one. Why so many answers? Because there is a lot more than math involved.
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They are two of the largest telescope mirrors on the planet and they only work if they are bright and shiny. Keeping them that way that at almost 14,000 feet above sea level, while also not disrupting nightly astronomical observations, involves an ongoing dance of men and machines.
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So you think you know something about those giant Keck telescopes up on Mauna Kea? Wanna bet? Test your O.I.Q. (that’s Observatory Intelligence Quotient) with this quick true-or-false pop quiz.
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The observatory interns of today are the professional engineers and scientists of tomorrow. Hear from three Keck summer interns about their projects, what they have learned and what Keck and other cutting edge high-tech organizations get from a summertime injection of young intellect
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It’s not as rough as exploring Antarctica with sled dogs, but working near the summit of Mauna Kea has its risks and rewards. Keck Observatory’s Joel Aycock and Joe Gargiulo talk about what life is like when you spend half of it laboring in the rarified air near 14,000 feet and why it’s worth all the weird things thin air does to your brain and body.
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There are now four laser-toting telescopes on Mauna Kea, leading to some impressive new images and videos. The Keck I telescope is the latest to get a state-of-the-art laser which, when fired alongside the Keck II laser, can lead to images that bear a striking resemblance to scenes from Star Trek. But there is a lot more to these lasers than nice pictures. There’s a lot of gnarly science going on at both ends of those beams.
]]>There is no curtain, of course, as anyone knows if they have poked around the Keck Observatory Visitor Center in Waimea. But to banish even the shadow of any Oz-like shenanigans, here is a quick, easy-to-digest, summary of a few recent bona fide feats of Keck wizardry, including the discovery of the coldest star, the brightest star and a glimpse into the uncharted depths of Jupiter.
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Super Stars: The Keck I Telescope played a key role in unraveling the mysteries of one of the brightest supernovas ever discovered. At its peak, supernova 2008am was over 100 billion times brighter than the Sun. It emitted enough energy in one second to satisfy the power needs of the United States for one million times longer than the universe has existed.
Dark Skies: Back on Earth the power we use causes a lot of light pollution that blocks our view of the universe. This weekend is your chance to help keep your skies dark through the GLOBE at Night campaign.
Super Moon Facts & Fiction: The scientific explanation for the recent Super Moon is simple. But the tall tales and myths that hitch along with the Super Moon are many and varied. Here’s a primer on Super Moons (yes, there is more than one kind).
Humans are not alone in their struggle against an increasing waistline. Astronomers believe that galaxies too put on weight throughout their lives, growing not only by consuming hydrogen gas—which is then converted to stars—but also by cannibalizing other galaxies. It’s a galaxy-eat-galaxy cosmos, but the big surprise is that many galaxies seem to be growing to even larger sizes than their eating habits would suggest.
The gluttonous galaxies in question are known, perhaps not surprisingly, as “ellipticals.” Their three-dimensional form distinguishes them from disk-like galaxies, including slim and beautiful spirals like M51 and our own Milky Way. Ellipticals have long been known to be, well, fat.
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The W. M. Keck Observatory has received a $1.72 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to design the first near-infrared tip-tilt sensor used to correct for the turbulence in Earth’s atmosphere. The improvements will increase the sensitivity and resolution of the Keck I telescope, which already allows astronomers to resolve in the near-infrared as much detail or more as the Hubble Space Telescope resolves in visible light.
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Astronomers using Keck Observatory have identified the first known quasar acting as a gravitational lens that magnifies an even more distant galaxy. The discovery may provide astronomers with a new technique to study quasars.
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While the mission of Keck Observatory is to advance the frontiers of astronomy and share its discoveries with the world, the organization’s educational influence goes far beyond understanding the cosmos. On June 24 and 25, engineers and technicians from the Observatory judged underwater robots entered in the ninth annual International Student Remote Operated Vehicle competition held at the University of Hawai’i-Hilo.
Through formal and informal events and mentorships such as the R.O.V. competitions, Observatory employees share their expertise in not only science, but also engineering, mechanics and other fields. As a result of these hands on teaching opportunities, several island schools and clubs have won regional titles in competitions, including R.O.V., SolidWorks CAD and BotBall, and then gone on to qualify for national and international events.
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In the June/July 2010 issue of Hana Hou!, the magazine of Hawaiian Airlines, editor Julia Steele features Mauna Kea, describing it as the epicenter of astronomy and reviewing some of the most significant discoveries made on the mountain.
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