Events
Events
Upcoming

A Night in the Life of Keck Observatory
05:00 pm - 06:30 pm
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 […]
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The Darkest Secrets of the Universe
07:00 pm - 08:30 pm
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 […]
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Large Space Observatories: The Missions and Designs of Chandra and James Webb Space Telescope
07:00 pm - 08:30 pm
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 […]
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Exoplanet Imaginarium: Where Imagination and Science Meet
07:00 pm - 08:00 pm
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 […]
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Quest for the Spirit of Ānuenue: Chasing Rainbows
07:00 pm - 08:30 pm
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 […]
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Mercury Transit Viewing
06:00 am - 08:30 am
Check out planet Mercury pass across the Sun! W. M. Keck Observatory invites the community to its Mercury Transit Viewing at its headquarters in Waimea. We’ll start the morning showing a live feed of the beginning of the transit in the Jerry Nelson Conference Room. When the Sun comes over North Hawaii Community Hospital, come […]
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Waimea Solar System Walk
10:00 am - 02:00 pm
W. M. Keck Observatory, in partnership with Canada France Hawaii Telescope Corporation (CFHT), University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy, and Waimea Public Library present: Waimea Solar System Walk 2019 Bring your ohana to this family-friendly event for an interstellar journey right in Waimea town. Start at W. M. Keck Observatory’s Headquarters, walk through a scale […]
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The Past, Present, and Future of Space Telescopes
07:00 pm - 08:30 pm
GUEST SPEAKER: J. Christopher Howk, Professor of Physics, University of Notre Dame ASTRONOMY TALK | Maunakea Observatories are among the most powerful ground-based telescopes in the world. They become even more powerful when combined with the use of telescopes in space, allowing astronomers to explore the extremes of the universe. As the best-known space observatory […]
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In Search of the Ultimate Ruler: The Grand Challenge of Distances in Astronomy
07:00 pm - 08:30 pm
GUEST SPEAKER: John O’Meara, W. M. Keck Observatory Chief Scientist ASTRONOMY TALK | Even with the most powerful telescopes and instrumentation, astronomy faces a fundamental problem: the ability to determine the distance to objects in the cosmos. From the solar system to the cosmic microwave background, the history of astronomy is intertwined with the hunt […]
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PŌWEHI Hawaii and the Event Horizon Telescope
06:30 pm - 08:30 pm
GUEST SPEAKERS: Astronomers Geoffrey Bower, Jessica Dempsey, and Doug Simons and Larry Kimura from the College of Hawaiian Language, University of Hawai`i Hilo ASTRONOMY TALK | Join us to talk story about the groundbreaking results from the Event Horizon Telescope and the pioneering role the Maunakea Observatories played in this nearly-impossible experiment. We will also […]
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A Primitive Planetesimal in the Kuiper Belt Explored by New Horizons
06:30 pm - 07:00 pm
GUEST SPEAKER: Will Grundy, Astronomer, Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff, Arizona ASTRONOMY TALK | NASA’s New Horizons mission broke records on New Year’s Day 2019 after encountering the most distant object in our solar system ever explored by a spacecraft – a small Kuiper Belt object named 486958 2014 MU69, also known as Ultima Thule. The peanut-shaped […]
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