Cosmic Videos

Human Space Flight: Its History, Challenges, and Future

Human Space Flight: Its History, Challenges, and Future

Veteran astronauts Ellen Baker and Marsha Ivins share their experiences serving on several shuttle flights during their 30-plus-year NASA careers …
Correcting the Twinkle with Adaptive Optics

Correcting the Twinkle with Adaptive Optics

Temperature and pressure variations in the Earth’s atmosphere cause stars to appear to twinkle, and the images formed by all …
Devin Chu, PhD

A Hilo Boy’s Journey of Becoming an Astronomer

Devin Chu is a postdoctoral researcher with the University of California at Los Angeles Galactic Center Group, working under the …
lauren weiss, phd Credit: Steve Toepp/University of Notre Dame

The Origin of Earth-Like Planets and Their Water

Earth’s extensive surface liquid water, which is unique among the terrestrial planets, is a key aspect of its suitability for …
Seven Years of High-Cadence Solar System Observations using the ‘Twilight Zone’

Seven Years of High-Cadence Solar System Observations using the ‘Twilight Zone’

During morning twilight, as the sun begins to rise, the visible-wavelength sky rapidly becomes too bright to observe. The infrared …
A New Tool to Map Entire Galaxies

A New Tool to Map Entire Galaxies

All the popular images of galaxies, while beautiful, do not provide adequate information for astronomers to measure the galaxies’ inherent …
Exploring the Pluto System and Kuiper Belt Object Arrokoth with NASAʻs New Horizons

Exploring the Pluto System and Kuiper Belt Object Arrokoth with NASAʻs New Horizons

NASA’s New Horizons is the first spacecraft to successfully explore the Pluto System and a Kuiper Belt Object named Arrokoth, …
A Stretching Gas Cloud and Other Dusty Objects that Orbit Close to the Galactic Black Hole

A Stretching Gas Cloud and Other Dusty Objects that Orbit Close to the Galactic Black Hole

 The Supermassive Black Hole (SBH) at the center of our Milky Way Galaxy is surrounded by a dense cluster of …
Shadow the Scientists - Research as a Spectator Sport

Shadow the Scientists – Research as a Spectator Sport

 The Shadow the Scientists (StS) initiative out of UC Santa Cruz offers the opportunity for students anywhere in the world …

Send a Donation

Thank you for your generous support of W. M. Keck Observatory and for becoming a valued champion of our mission to advance the frontiers of astronomy and share our discoveries to inspire the imagination of all.

Donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. Keck Observatory is registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.