GUEST SPEAKER: John O’Meara, Chief Scientist, W. M. Keck Observatory VIRTUAL ASTRONOMY TALK: You’ve seen the discoveries, but how are they made? In this presentation, we follow the process of Keck Observatory’s science, from proposal to publication. Along the way, we’ll learn how our Hawaii staff prepares the Keck I and Keck II telescopes, configures […]
GUEST SPEAKER: Marla Geha, Director, Yale Telescope Resources, Professor, Astronomy Department, Yale University VIRTUAL ASTRONOMY TALK: Dozens of small galaxies have been discovered orbiting our Milky Way galaxy over the past decade. These “ultra-faint” galaxies are less luminous than any other known galaxy, and are several million times fainter than the Milky Way itself. W. […]
W. M. Keck Observatory invites you to a virtual screening of “Beyond the Impossible.” This short film is a sequel to “The Impossible Telescope,” a documentary released last year commemorating the legacy of Jerry Nelson, known as the “Father of the Keck Observatory Telescopes,” who pioneered the 10-meter segmented design of the primary mirrors that […]
GUEST SPEAKER: Taylor Hutchison, Graduate Student, Texas A&M University VIRTUAL ASTRONOMY TALK: We understand very little about the first galaxies in the universe whose light has traveled over 12 billion years to reach our telescopes. The early universe was a much darker place, filled with neutral gas blocking starlight from traveling far from its source. […]
GUEST SPEAKER: Wen-fai Fong, Assistant Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern UniversityWhen we look at the night sky, we see a static universe. However, astronomical observational surveys have revealed that our universe is, in fact, ever-changing. This “transient” sky is owed to a myriad of cosmic events. While many sources of transient emission have […]
GUEST SPEAKER: Robert McLaren, Interim Director, University of Hawaiʻi, Institute for AstronomyVIRTUAL ASTRONOMY TALK | Astronomy on Maunakea originated in community efforts to revive the Hawaiʻi Island economy following the 1960 tsunami that devastated Hilo. It quickly acquired governmental support, especially from Governor John Burns. The University of Hawaiʻi took a leading role, commissioning the […]
GUEST SPEAKER: J. Xavier Prochaska, Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz Astronomer, University of California Observatories VIRTUAL ASTRONOMY TALK | Join us as Professor X describes the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and its many influences on modern astronomy. These range from automating analysis of billions of galaxies to detecting the […]
GUEST SPEAKER: John O’Meara, Chief Scientist, W. M. Keck Observatory VIRTUAL ASTRONOMY TALK | Everyone knows a picture is worth a thousand words, but a spectrum is worth at least a thousand pictures. The history of spectroscopy is intricately linked with every major discovery in astronomy and astrophysics in the last 120 years. In this […]
GUEST SPEAKER: Raja GuhaThakurta, Co-Chair, Professor, and Astronomer, Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California Santa Cruz ASTRONOMY TALK | From dark matter to galaxy cannibalism, black holes, time machines, gravitational waves, Schrödinger’s cat, theory of inflation, and the Big Bang, Dr. GuhaThakurta will weave these cosmic secrets into the story about the origin […]
GUEST SPEAKER: Jonathan Arenberg, Chief Engineer, Space Science Missions, Northrup Grumman Aerospace Systems ASTRONOMY TALK | Large space observatories are a foundation for scientific advancement. This talk will explore the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the James Webb Space Telescope. Their missions, designs, construction, and testing will be explained and discussed. Some of the unique challenges […]
GUEST SPEAKER: Dr. Carlos Alvarez, W. M. Keck Observatory Astronomer MAUNAKEA SKIES ASTRONOMY TALK | The Exoplanet Imaginarium is the result of a collaboration between the W. M. Keck Observatory and award-winning exoplanet artist Adam Makarenko. Together, we have created a science-based artistic rendering of a variety of exoplanet scenes. Through this project, we bring […]
GUEST SPEAKER: Steven Businger, Professor, Atmospheric Sciences Department, University of Hawai`i at Mānoa ASTRONOMY TALK | University of Hawai`i Professor Steven Businger will offer a layman’s look at the cultural and historical significance of rainbows in Hawai`i. He will also present the science behind rainbow phenomenon and why Hawai`i is the best place in the […]
