Cosmic Matters Blog » In the community
Jul 6, 2010
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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Jun 21, 2010
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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May 24, 2010
University of Hawaiʻi photographer R. David Beales won Best in Show at the University Photographers Association of America competition for his December 2009 image of Keck Observatory using its laser guide star on Mauna Kea.
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May 6, 2010
Local artist Laurie Goldstein will display “Universe in Color” at Keck Observatory’s headquarters in Waimea from May 20 to September 22. Her work features canvas with papers, fabrics and ephemera glued to the surface.
The North Kohala artist explained that she sometimes paints over the collage material to give the surface texture, creating shapes that help dictate the outcome of the piece. In other works, she has used the glued materials as the final layer, which leaves the textures and colors of the collaged pieces completely visible.
Public viewing of Goldstein’s art will be available during Keck Observatory’s monthly astronomy lectures.
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Apr 30, 2010
On Sunday, May 2, the Discovery Channel will air a new documentary entitled How the Universe Works: Black Holes.
The hour-long program features MacArthur Genius Andrea Ghez of UCLA and her research using Keck Observatory and adaptive optics to study the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy.
For updates on airtime, check the Discovery Channel’s TV schedule.
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Apr 19, 2010
No where is the night sky more inspiring to ponder whether we are alone in the Universe than in Hawai’i. And, no where are astronomers working harder to answer this question. Planet Hunter: Geoff Marcy and the Search for Other Earths, explores this quest to discover other worlds, particularly ones like our own and ones that may in fact harbor life.
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Apr 13, 2010
Tommaso Treu is a cosmic genealogist. He collects and organizes images of the Universe in the same way an individual constructs a family tree with photos.
“You start with what’s here today,” says Treu, an astrophysicist at UC Santa Barbara. “Looking at the collection, you see what your parents looked like and you see what your grandparents looked like and you try to figure out what happened evolutionarily.”
Instead of cataloguing images of his human ancestors, Treu begins with information on galaxies like the Milky Way and its neighbors. He then works his way back to the first compact, distant galaxies, which sit billions of light-years from Earth. His research recently earned him the 2010 Newton Lacy Pierce Prize from the American Astronomical Society, an award given annually to an astronomer under the age of 36 for outstanding achievement.
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Apr 6, 2010
PBS Hawai’i aired Hunting the Edge of Space, a documentary exploring how the telescope has expanded our view of the Universe.
The program features planet hunter Geoff Marcy and his search with the Keck I telescope for planets similar to Earth. The documentary is now available to watch online.
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