Waimea Solar System Walk

W. M. Keck Observatory, in partnership with Canada France Hawaii Telescope Corporation (CFHT), and University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy, present: The Annual Waimea Solar System Walk 2018 Bring your ohana to this family-friendly event for an interstellar journey, right in Waimea town! Start the walk at Keck Observatory’s Headquarters, then travel through the solar […]

A Night in the Life of Keck Observatory

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 […]

Dwarf Galaxies, Dark Matter, and the Milky Way

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. […]

Virtual Film Premiere: “Beyond the Impossible”

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 […]

Hunting for the Most Distant Galaxies in the Universe

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. […]

Illuminating the Origins of the Universe’s Fastest Explosions

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 […]

Modern Astronomy on Maunakea: A 60-Year Story (1960-2020)

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 […]

When Machines Take Over: Astronomy in the 21st Century

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 […]

Spectroscopy: How Astronomy Really Gets Done

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 […]

The Darkest Secrets of the Universe

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 […]

Large Space Observatories: The Missions and Designs of Chandra and James Webb Space Telescope

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 […]

Exoplanet Imaginarium: Where Imagination and Science Meet

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 […]