If you woudl like to be notified of future events by e-mail, send an email to ifaevents@ifa.hawaii.edu.
Upcoming Events |
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| Now thru mid-December | The UH Institute for Astronomy and Hamilton Library are presenting the exhibit “The Universe: Yours to Discover” in the Hamilton Bridge Gallery through mid-December in celebration of the International Year of Astronomy. The gallery is on the first floor of the library and is accessible any time the library is open. Free. For more information, Teri Skillman, 956-8688 or skillman@hawaii.edu. |
| Friday, November 20, 2009 | Maui Maikalani Community Lecture: Dr. Bob Joseph, "Galileo and the 400th Anniversary of Astronomy Using Telescopes," at 6:30 p.m. at the Maikalani building in Pukalani. Free. Flyer. This year is the 400th anniversary of the first use of the telescope for astronomy. Galileo made several discoveries with the telescope that undercut the classical geocentric cosmology inherited from the Greeks. Because Aristotelean thought was the core of the university curriculum, as well as part of the Scholastic synthesis with Christian theology, this got Galileo into some trouble with his academic colleagues as well the Church. In this talk Dr. Joseph will describe some of Galileo's discoveries with his telescope and also discuss a bit about Galileo's scientific style and his confrontation with the Roman Inquisition. In the course of the discussion, he hopes to dispel some of the popular myths about Galileo and his encounter with the Inquisition. |
| Sunday, November 22, 2009 | Look Up! 6–8 p.m., Hamilton Library Lawn, University of Hawaii at Manoa Join us for this special IYA2009 star party, hot chocolate, and a peppermint candy cane! Free campus parking |
| Thursday, December 3, 2009 | IYA 2009 Lecture: "Hubble Space Telescope: Past, Present & Future," IfA astronomer Lisa Kewley, 3:30 in Hamilton Library, room 301, free. The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has made a great impact on our knowledge of the Universe, from planets in our solar system, to nearby stars, to extremely distant galaxies. Dr. Kewley will present an overview of the major discoveries made by the HST and will describe the research that the UH astronomers are conducting by combining data from HST with data from the largest ground-based telescopes on Mauna Kea. She will report on the present status of the HST, including the recent successful servicing mission, and will present the HST’s successor, the James Webb Space Telescope. |
Earlier Events |
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| Wednesday, November 18, 2009 | IYA 2009 Lecture: "Sacred Mountains and Astronomy," IfA astronomer Paul H. Coleman, 3:30 in Hamilton Library, room 301, free.
This talk will center on the often strained relationship between modern astronomers and indigenous peoples with their sacred mountains. Examples from the Tahono O'odham, San Carlos Apache, and Zuni tribes will be presented. Finally, the situations on Maunakea and Haleakala will be presented. |
| Wednesday, November 18, 2009 | Frontiers of Astronomy Community Lecture: IfA astronomer Shadia Habbal, "The Magic of a Disappearing Sun." UH Manoa Art Building auditorium, 7:30 p.m. Free. For a few fleeting minutes, once every year or so, the Moon intercepts the light from the Sun, creating a shadow band a few hundred kilometers wide on Earth. It is during this event, known as a total solar eclipse, that stars appear in broad daylight and the intricate beauty of the outer atmosphere of the Sun, or its corona, is revealed. These are precious moments to witness but also precious for making unique observations of the corona. This presentation will highlight the human and scientific achievements that accompany the advent of a total solar eclipse. |
| Wednesday, October 28, 2009 | IYA 2009 Lecture: "Telescopes: Big and Small," IfA astronomer Alan T. Tokunaga, Division Chief for the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) on Mauna Kea and IfA Associate Director for Instrumentation, 3:30 in Hamilton Library, room 301, free.
While new large telescopes garner much of the press coverage, mid-size telescopes (those with a primary mirror less than about 4 meters in diameter) continue to be major contributors to astronomical research. Dr. Tokunaga will highlight the research done with the 3.0-meter (9.8 ft) NASA IRTF, a telescope on Mauna Kea operated for NASA by the University of Hawaii and dedicated to planetary science and support of NASA space missions. He will also review the increase of telescope aperture from Galileo's time to the present, when telescopes as large as 30 meters are being planned. |
| Friday, October 16, 2009 | Maui Maikalani Community Lecture: Dr. Gary Greenberg, "Exploring the Micro World" at 6:30 p.m. on at the Maikalani building in Pukalani. Free. Flyer |
| Wednesday, October 14, 2009 | IYA 2009 Lecture: "The Antikythera Mechanism," IfA astraonmer Gareth Wynn-Williams will lecture on the ancient Greek enigma, "The Antikythera Mechanism." Recent X-ray analysis of the encrusted piece of bronze from a 2000-year-old Greek shipwreck shows it to be an astronomical computing device of astonishing complexity. What did it do? What purpose did it serve? Join us to find out! |
| Friday, September 18, 2009 | Third Annual IfA Maui Open House, 6 to 8 p.m. at the Maikalani building in Pukalani. Poster |
| Wednesday, September 23, 2009 | Frontiers of Astronomy Community Lecture: IfA astronomer Tobias Owen, "Saturn and Its Mysterious Moons." UH Manoa Art Building auditorium, 7:30 p.m. Free.
Imagine a world so cold it has lakes and rivers of liquid natural gas, a landscape strewn with boulders of ice, and dunes made of dark, carbon-containing grains that have fallen like snow from an orange-colored sky. This is Titan, a satellite of Saturn. Nearby is the moon Enceladus with active ice volcanoes and a diaphanous ring of its own. These marvels were discovered by Cassini-Huygens, a joint European-US mission that is still exploring this fabulous planetary system. |
| Thursday, September 10, 2009 | IYA 2009 Lecture: "Galileo and the 400th Anniversary of Astronomy Using Telescopes," IfA astronomer Bob Joseph, 3:30 in Hamilton Library, room 301, followed by a reception to mark the opening of the International Year of Astronomy exhibit in the Hamilton Bridge Gallery. Free. |
| Friday, August 21, 2009 | Maui Maikalani Community Lecture: Larry Denneau, "What Comes Down That Didn't Go Up" at 6:30 p.m. on at the Maikalani building in Pukalani. Free. Flyer |
| Tuesday, July 21, 2009 | Solar Eclipse (partial): The Maui Amateur Astronomers will be viewing the sunset/eclipse from the parking lot of the Maikalani building on Maui. All are welcome to attend. 4-6 p.m. |
| Friday, July 17, 2009 | Maui Maikalani Community Lecture: JD Armstrong, "Helioseismology: Song of the Sun" at 6:30 p.m. on at the Maikalani building in Pukalani. Free. Flyer |
| Friday, June 19, 2009 | Maui Maikalani Community Lecture: JD Armstrong, "Exoplanets: Discovering New Worlds" at 6:30 p.m. on at the Maikalani building in Pukalani. Free. Flyer |
| Tuesday, May 26, 2009 | Frontiers of Astronomy Community Lecture: IfA astronomer Lisa Kewley, "Oxygen: Breathing the Universe," UH Manoa Art Building auditorium, 7:30 p.m. Free. |
| Friday, May 22, 2009 | AstroTalk, Beyond the Eyeball: Come See What You Are Missing, Dr. Glen Petitpas, Submillimeter Array, 7:15 p.m., UH Hilo, University Classroom Building, room 100. Free. |
| Friday, May 15, 2009 | Maui Maikalani Community Lecture: Maui astronomer Harriet Witt, "The Copernican Revolution: A Fact of History? Or a Bare Beginning?" at 6:30 p.m. on at the Maikalani building in Pukalani. Free. Flyer Abstract |
| Saturday, May 2, 2009 | Astroday, Prince Kuhio Plaza, Hilo, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free. |
| Thursday, April 16, 2009 | Maui Maikalani Community Lecture: Dr.Paul H.I. Coleman, Associate Astronomer,, "Kilohoku (Hawaiian astronomy) Then and Now," at 6:30 p.m. on at the Maikalani building in Pukalani. Free. Flyer Abstract |
| Sunday, April 5, 2009 | IfA Manoa Annual Open House, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free. Exhibits, games, talks for all ages. |
| Friday, March 20, 2009 | AstroTalk, Dr. Mark Chun (IfA), "Adaptive Optics Systems: All Creatures Great & Small," 7:15 p.m., UH Hilo, University Classroom Building, room 100. Free. |
| Wednesday, March 18, 2009 | Frontiers of Astronomy Community Lecture, David Jewitt (IfA), "The New Solar System," UH Manoa Art Building auditorium (Room 132), 7:30 p.m. Free. |
| Friday, March 13, 2009 | Maui Maikalani Community Lecture: Dr. Fern Duvall, " ‘Ua‘u (Hawaiian Petrels): Hawaii’s Mountain Birds of the Night That Traverse the Far Northern Pacific Ocean," at 6:30 p.m. on at the Maikalani building in Pukalani. Free. Flyer Abstract |
| Friday, February 13, 2009 | Maui Maikalani Community Lecture: Dan O'Gara, Superintendent of Halekala Division, IfA, "Laser Ranging at Haleakala Observatories, 1972 to the Present," at 6:30 p.m. on at the Maikalani building in Pukalani. Free. Flyer. |
| Thursday, February 12, 2009 | AstroTalk, Dr. Kevin Grazier (Jet Propulsion Laboratory/Caltech), "Jupiter as a Sniper Rather Than a Shield," 7:15 p.m., UH Hilo, University Classroom Building, room 100. Free. |
| Friday, January 30, 2009 | 2009 International Year of Astronomy Kauai Celebration: Public Star Party, Telescope Observing, & Lecture by Dr. Sanjay Limaye, University of Wisconsin Madison, “Unveiling Venus,” Kauai Community College, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Flyer press release |
| Friday & Saturday, January 30-31, 2009 | Astronomy and Astrobiology Workshop for secondary teachers and their students in grades 7 through 12, Kauai Community College, Learning Resource Center, Rm 123, sponsored by University of Hawaii, Institute for Astronomy & NASA NAI Team. Flyer (pdf) |
| Friday, January 23, 2009 | Maui Maikalani Community Lecture: Casey Fukuda, Haleakala Amateur Astronomers, "The Logical Phases of Amateur Astronomy" at 6:30 p.m. on at the Maikalani building in Pukalani. Free |
| Thursday, December 11, 2008 | AstroTalk, Dr. Robert Jedicke (IfA), "Einstein vs. Santa: Is Santa Breaking the Laws of Relativity?" 7 p.m., UH Hilo, University Classroom Building, room 100. Free. |
| Monday, December 8, 2008 | Dr. Robert Jedicke (IfA) "Einstein vs. Santa: Is Santa Breaking the Laws of Relativity?" UH Manoa Art Building auditorium (Room 132). 7:00 p.m. Free. |
| Saturday, December 6, 2008 | The Universe Tonight at the Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station: Dr. Mark Chun (IfA), "Adaptive Optics in Astronomy," 6 p.m. Free. Stargazing follows. |
| Friday, December 5, 2008 | Maui Maikalani Community Lecture: Dr. Robert Jedicke (IfA) "Einstein vs. Santa: Is Santa Breaking the Laws of Relativity?" at 6:30 p.m. on at the Maikalani building in Pukalani. Free. |
| Wednesday, December 3, 2008 | Frontiers of Astronomy Community Event, "It's About Time," a panel featuring Bob Joseph (IfA), "The History of Time"; Klaus Keil (HIGP), "The Time of Formation of the Solar System"; Gareth Wynn-Williams (IfA), "The Beginning of Time"; and John Learned (UH Physics & Astronomy), "My Clock Runs Faster than Your Clock," with Shadia Habbal as moderator. UH Manoa Art Building auditorium (Room 132). 7:30 p.m. Free. |
| Friday, November 21, 2008 | AstroTalk, Wayne Rosing, Las Cumbres Observatory, "Education and the LCOGT Global Network," 7 p.m., UH Hilo, University Classroom Building, room 114. Free. |
| Wednesday, November 19, 2008 | AstroTalk, Dr. Andy Adamson, Associate Director, UKIRT, Joint Astronomy Centre, and Dr. Antonio Chrysostomou, Associate Director, JCMT, "Viewing the Heavens with Different Eyes: The Infrared & Submillimeter Skies," 7 p.m., UH Hilo, University Classroom Building, room 100. Free. |
| Friday, November 14, 2008 | Maui Maikalani Community Lecture: Ms. Cynthia Giebink and Dr. Stuart Jefferies (both IfA) will give a talk entitled "A South Pole Travelogue" at 6:30 p.m. on at the Maikalani building in Pukalani. Free. |
| Friday, October 17, 2008 | Maui Maikalani Community Lecture: Dr. Jeff Morgan will give a talk entitled "The Pan-STARRS PS1 Telescope: Saving the World One Asteroid at a Time" at 6:30 p.m. on at the Maikalani building in Pukalani. Free. |
| Tuesday, September 30, 2008 | Frontiers of Astronomy Community Lecture, "X-Raying Dark Matter," IfA astronomer Pat Henry. Manoa Valley Theatre, 2833 East Manoa Rd., 7:30 p.m. Free. Free parking is available on the street, in the IfA lot, or in the Safeway lot. |
| Saturday, September 6, 2008 | Friends of the Institute for Astronomy special workshop at the IfA Maui building Maikalani and atop Haleakala Observatories. Limited to 30 people who are members of the Friends. $80 plus air transportation and lodging. Call 956-6665 for more information. |
| Tuesday, August 12, 2008 | "SETI: If the Cosmic Telephone Rings, Should We Answer it?," IfA astronomer Gareth Wynn-Williams, IfA Manoa Auditorium, 7:30 p.m. Free. |
| Saturday, August 9, 2008 | Escorted trip to Mauna Kea Observatories for Friends who have made gifts to the IfA at the Contributor level or higher. |
| Wednesday, July 23, 2008 | Maui Maikalani Community Lecture: IfA postdoctoral fellow David Harrington will give a talk entitled "Stellar Winds: Observing Stars from Haleakala" at 6:30 p.m. on at the Maikalani building in Pukalani. Free. |
| Friday, July 18, 2008 | Dr. Jeffrey Gillis-Davis, Hawaii Institute of Geophysics & Planetology, UH Manoa, "Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter: A Prelude to Lunar Bases," 7 p.m., Kilauea Military Camp, Koa Room. Stargazing to follow, weather permitting. Free. |
| Monday, June 30, 2008 | Frontiers of Astronomy Community Lecture, "Other Worlds," John Johnson, IfA NSF Fellow. IfA Manoa Auditorium, 7:30 p.m. Free. |
| Friday, June 20, 2008 | Public Lecture on Maui. Sol Kaho`ohalahala will present "Mai Ka Lani: Mauka–Makai," an examination of the Hawaii of old, the people, their works, their knowledge, advancements and achievements that lay a path to the future. "I ka wa mamua, I ka wa mahope." Moving toward the future requires that we look to the past. Maikalani (Advanced Technology Research Center), 6:30 p.m. Free. |
| Monday, June 2, 2008 | "Killer Asteroids," a talk by IfA astronomer Robert Jedicke. IfA Manoa Auditorium, 7:30 p.m. (light refreshments at 6:30). Free. |
| Friday, May 16, 2008 | Public Lecture on Maui, Stuart Jefferies (IfA), "Imaging in the 21st Century." Maikalani (Advanced Technology Research Center), 6:30 p.m. Free. |
| Saturday, May 3, 2008 | Astroday, Prince Kuhio Plaza, Hilo, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free. |
| Sunday, April 27, 2008 | Annual Manoa Open House, 11 a.m to 4 p.m. Free. |
| Friday, April 18, 2008 | AstroTalk, Glen Petitpas, Submillimeter Array, "The Secret Lives of Galaxies: The Invisible Ingredients" 7 p.m., UH Hilo, University Classroom Building, room 100. Free. |
| Friday, April 11, 2008 | Public Lecture on Maui, Shadia Habbal (IfA), "Total Solar Eclipses and the Secrets of the Sun," Maikalani (Advanced Technology Research Center), 6:30 p.m. Free. |
| Friday, March 28, 2008 | AstroTalk, Mike Brown, California Institute of Technology, "How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming" 7 p.m., UH Hilo, University Classroom Building, room 100. Free. |
| Thursday, March 20, 2008 | Public Lecture on Maui, Jean-Charles Cuillandre of the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope will show his film, Hawaiian Starlight: Exploring the Universe from Mauna Kea, which features time-lapse photography of the observatories on Mauna Kea set to original music. Maikalani (Advanced Technology Research Center), 6:30 p.m. Free. |
| Monday, March 3, 2008 | Frontiers of Astronomy Community Lecture, "Oceans: Origins and Distribution of Water on Earth and in Space," UH Manoa Art Building Auditorium, 7:00 p.m. Free. Speakers: Robert Jedicke and Karen Meech (IfA), Michael Mottl (UH Oceanography), Torrence Johnson (Jet Propulsion Laboratory), Stephen Mojzsis (University of Colorado) |
| Friday, February 15, 2008 | AstroTalk, Tim Livengood, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, "EPOXI and a New EPOCh of Extrasolar Planet Exploration" 7 p.m., UH Hilo, University Classroom Building, room 100. Free. |
| Friday, February 15, 2008 | Public Lecture on Maui, by Dr. Ilia Roussev, IfA, "Stormy Weather in Space," Maikalani (Advanced Technology Research Center), 6:30 p.m. Free. |
| Monday, January 28, 2008 | “From Brown Dwarfs to Gamma-Ray Bursts: Award-Winning Graduate Student Research at the Institute for Astronomy,” 7:30 p.m., IfA Manoa auditorium. Three graduate students will describe their independent research projects in talks aimed at nonscientists. Free. |
| Friday, January 11, 2008 | AstroTalk, Phil Sakimoto, University of Notre Dame, "The International Year of Astronomy: Uniting Heaven and Earth," 7 p.m., UH Hilo, University Classroom Building, room 100. Free. |
| Friday, January 11, 2008 | Public Lecture on Maui, by Rob Ratkowski, Haleakala Amateur Astronomers, "How to Use the Telescope You Received for Christmas," Maikalani (Advanced Technology Research Center), 6:30 p.m. Free. |