Hana Hou! editor at large Julia Steele visits the Keck Observatory and stands in front of the 10-meter Keck II telescope during her trip to research the work being done on Mauna Kea. Credit: Ashley Yeager, WMKO.
In “View from the Top,” the cover story of the June/July 2010 Hana Hou!, editor Julia Steele explores just what scientists are finding using some of the most advanced telescopes on Mauna Kea.
Making the list of the most significant discoveries are: the first direct image of extrasolar planets orbiting the star HR 8799, the detection of methane on Mars, the oldest objects in the Universe, and dark energy, the energy that is causing the Universe to accelerate rather than slow down in its expansion.
Dark energy is a force we can’t see or feel, but it’s “the biggest constituent of the Universe,” says Observatory Director Taft Armandroff in the article. “And we didn’t know about it twelve years ago.” Steele goes on to explain the discovery of dark energy and several of the other significant scientific findings using Keck Observatory.
Click here to read the full article, or pick up your complimentary copy the next time you fly Hawaiian Airlines.