Behind every astronomical discovery are the stories and experiences of the people who made it possible. Explore the latest from across the Maunakea Observatories.
STORIES
Kamaʻāina Observatory Experience Returns
The Kamaʻāina Observatory Experience (KOE) is a free tour program offering Hawai‘i residents the opportunity to visit world-class telescopes at the summit of Maunakea on Hawai‘i Island. This monthly program invites participants to learn about the scientific, cultural, and environmental importance of the mauna and then allows them to actually visit the inside of one of the telescopes atop Maunakea.
Journey Through the Universe Inspires Students with Science from Maunakea and Beyond
During the first week of February, NOIRLab’s Journey Through the Universe returned for its 21st consecutive year! Journey Through the Universe, or Journey, is a weeklong educational program that aims to inspire Hawaiʻi’s students to explore science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Throughout the week, volunteer educators visited 2nd through 12th-grade Hilo-Waiākea classrooms to take students on an educational journey full of hands-on experiences.
New CFHT-Asahi StarCam Brings Live Views of Maunakea to the World
Since 2021, the Subaru-Asahi StarCam has provided a 24/7 livestream of the eastern side of Maunakea for viewers. Now, a new livestream is offering an additional view from the new CFHT-Asahi StarCam thanks to a partnership between the Canada-France-Hawaiʻi Telescope (CFHT) and Asahi Shimbun.
Subaru Telescope’s New Compound Eye to Start Exploring the Universe in February
The Subaru Telescope studies objects that are relatively close together in the distant universe, and it is enhancing its capabilities with a new instrument called the Prime Focus Spectrograph (PFS). The PFS is a powerful compound eye that allows the telescope to simultaneously observe 2,400 celestial bodies with 2,400 prisms scattered across the telescope's ultra-wide field of view.
Nānā ao: Maunakea Observatories’ New Instrument
Nānā ao, “watcher of clouds” in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian), is a new instrument that will be shared by the Maunakea observatories to facilitate the detection of oncoming banks of clouds by our nighttime observers.
The 2024 Maunakea Wonders Teacher Workshop
Since 2017, the Maunakea Wonders Teacher Workshop has connected 126 local Masters of Arts in Teaching students at UH Hilo to the observatory and educational resources. This year, 15 students participated in this two-day event hosted by the East Asian Observatory.
Bryan Silver: 2025 Hawaiʻi State Teacher of the Year and Maunakea Scholars Teacher
Bryan Silver, a science and Career and Technical Education at Kalani High School was named 2025 Hawaiʻi State Teacher of the Year by the state Department of Education! Bryan has spent the last 24 years teaching in the Honolulu district and has been a Maunakea Scholars (MKS) teacher since 2016 providing Honolulu students with project-based, hands-on STEM learning experiences. This honor reflects the profound impact he’s had on his students and community.
Leinani Lozi Named to Pacific Business News’ 40 Under 40
Leinani Lozi, Hawaiʻi Education & Engagement Manager at the International Gemini Observatory, a program of NSF’s NOIRLab, has been named one of Pacific Business News’ 40 Under 40, recognizing her contributions to science education and dedication to serving her community. The annual event honors leaders from across Hawaiʻi for their professional and philanthropic achievements.
2024 Waimea Solar System Walk & 45th Anniversary of Canada-France-Hawaiʻi Telescope
On October 26, the Maunakea Observatories hosted its 2024 Waimea Solar System Walk in Waimea Town on Hawai‘i Island. This free, family-friendly event took participants on an engaging journey through the solar system, beginning at the W. M. Keck Observatory headquarters and concluding at the Canada-France-Hawaiʻi Telescope (CFHT) offices.
MKO Website Relaunched With a New Look and a New Approach
Welcome to the new Maunakea Observatories website! With fresh design, photography, science, and storytelling, the updated website reflects the evolution of MKO and offers a glimpse into our work, people, approach, and role in community.
New Subaru Telescope Observations Reveal the Structure of the Outer Solar System
Dr. Tsuyoshi Terai, Subaru Support Astronomer, gives a deeper look into the process behind the new observations about the outer solar system released by the Subaru Telescope in partnership with the New Horizons spacecraft and discusses what they potentially mean for our understanding of the solar system.
Omidyar Fellows Spotlight - Rich Matsuda
The Omidyar Fellows program is recognizing Rich Matsuda for his stellar leadership as the director of W.M. Keck Observatory on Maunakea!