Videos

Explore the people, places, and discoveries that bring Keck Observatory’s mission to life.

What’s it like working for the world’s largest optical and infrared telescopes?

Meet James Chongs and Ash Hooks, Infrastructure Technicians at Keck Observatory. Every day, the Infrastructure team helps care for the facilities and environment that supports world-leading astronomy. Their work reflects a commitment to service and stewardship, expressed through the care they bring to the Observatory, the respect they show for ʻāina, and the communities that shape them.

Behind the Mirror: Inside a Keck Segment Exchange

Every mirror segment plays a critical role in Keck’s scientific discoveries.

Go behind the scenes of a Keck segment exchange and experience the coordination, expertise, and attention to detail required to maintain the performance of the world’s largest optical and infrared telescopes.

Cosmic Videos
Imaging Exoplanets with the World's Largest Telescopes

Imaging Exoplanets with the World’s Largest Telescopes

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Cosmic Videos
From the Possibility to the Certainty of a Supermassive Black Hole

From the Possibility to the Certainty of a Supermassive Black Hole

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Keck Observatory Donor Salon Talk
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 …
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Astronomy Talk, Cosmic Videos
The Search for Extraterrestrial Life, From a Reporter’s Perspective

The Search for Extraterrestrial Life, From a Reporter’s Perspective

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Community, Keck Observatory Donor Salon Talk
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 …
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Keck Observatory Donor Salon Talk
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 …
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Keck Observatory Donor Salon Talk
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 …
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Keck Observatory Donor Salon Talk
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 …
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Astronomy Talk
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, …
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Keck Observatory Donor Salon Talk
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 …
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Keck Observatory Donor Salon Talk
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 …
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Astronomy Talk
NASA: Exploring the Secrets of the Universe and Improving Life on Earth

NASA: Exploring the Secrets of the Universe and Improving Life on Earth

Ever since NASA was established in 1958, expanding human knowledge of Earth, atmospheric phenomena, and space has been NASA’s priority …
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