Special Events

Upcoming Events

Sheraton Waikiki Explorers of the Universe public lecture: Jill Tarter, SETI Institute, “Are We Alone: Current Efforts to Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence,” UH Mānoa Kennedy Theatre, 7:30 p.m. Tickets free but required: https://uhifa.ticketbud.com/arewealone -- Flier -- Press Release

Does intelligent life exist beyond Earth? If so, how might we find it? Using the tools of astronomers, SETI, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, is systematically looking for evidence of technologies produced by distant, alien civilizations. Find out what we've learned and what's next.

AstroDay, a celebration of astronomy and Hawaiian culture, Prince Kūhiō Plaza, Hilo, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free.

Earlier Events

Maikalani Community Lecture: "Cosmic Snowballs," Dr. Karen Meech, IfA, 6:30 p.m. at the Maikalani building in Pukalani, Maui. Free. Also streamed live online and on Second Life. Flier

Once feared as omens of cosmic and earthly catastrophe, comets are now used to explore the birth processes of our solar system. In the past 300 years we have only had a dozen spectacularly bright comets; comet ISON coming close to the Sun in November, may be another. Come join us to see how comets may have played a role in making Earth suitable for life, and how you can view one of these ethereal celestial bodies this fall.

Join us for FAMELAB!
7-9 p.m. Reception follows.
Coral Ballroom 4, Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort, 2005 Kalia Road
Free and open to the public (but probably a charge for parking). Flier

THINK AMERICAN IDOL...BUT FOR SCIENTISTS! Think Goodall, Sagan, and American Idol for the next generation of scientists. Ten regional finalists face expert judges, each spinning three minutes into a magical evening of science storytelling. And while the judges deliberate, NOAA Fisheries Lead Scientist for the Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program, Charles Littnan, will explain how National Geographic's Crittercam technology reveals a closer look on the seal's daily lives and how this helps to protect them. Come cheer on these brave souls and journey with them to the cutting edge of exploring Earth and beyond!

Maikalani Community Lecture: "The Extraordinary Nature of Ordinary Things: How Science Has Changed Our Perception of Light, Space, and Time," Dr. Gary Greenberg, IfA, 6:30 p.m. at the Maikalani building in Pukalani, Maui. Free. Also streamed live online and on Second Life. Flier

We human beings perceive the world around us through our senses and our brain. However, we are limited in our perception of time, space, and light. Photography has allowed us to extend our perception of space by integrating microscopes and telescopes with the modern camera. The extraordinary nature of ordinary objects is revealed when the universe is seen through the lens of modern technologies. In this presentation, we will see that everyday objects take on a new reality when magnified thousands of times, illuminating the hidden secrets of nature.

Maikalani Community Lecture: "Fermi's paradox revisited: Where are extrasolar civilizatons, and do we have the technlogy to find them?" Dr. Jeff Kuhn, IfA, 6:30 p.m. at the Maikalani building in Pukalani, Maui. Free. Also streamed live online and on Second Life. Flier

We now know that we're surrounded by habitable extrasolar planets. Even half a century ago, before we knew of any extrasolar planets, Fermi speculated that the absence of any "proof" for extraterrestrial civilization could be important news for life on Earth. Today his query is even more compelling. This talk will describe a new idea for completing a nearby extraterrestrial cosmic census and describe some of the technology that exists today to undertake it.

Frontiers of Astronomy Community Event, "Great Comets: What Makes Them So Great?" with Dr. Alan Fitzsimmons from Queen's University Belfast (Northern Ireland), 7:30 p.m., UH Mānoa Art Building Auditorium (room 132). Free Admission (Campus Parking $6). Streamed live on line. Poster Now available on video!

About once a decade, a truly spectacular comet is visible even through the bright city lights. This year, we may see two of them. Historically, these appearances have induced both fear and wonder. In modern times, the wonder remains, and scientists use them to gain new insights into the nature of comets and the history of our solar system. While we cannot do anything about how often they appear, new facilities such as the Pan-STARRS telescope on Maui can give us advance warning about when they will arrive. But what makes a comet "great" anyway? Come along and find out.

Maikalani Community Lecture: "Kitt Peak and the Observatories of Southern Arizona," Guy Jette, 6:30 p.m. at the Maikalani building in Pukalani, Maui. Free. Also streamed live online and on Second Life. Flier

Kitt Peak National Observatory was the first major observatory complex when established over fifty years ago. This national observatory became a catalyst for the numerous astronomical sites of southern Arizona. The evening's talk will discuss why and how a national observatory came to be, and why it was sited at Kitt Peak. The evening's speaker, Guy Jette, will discuss the major observatories/telescopes in operation at this site, including the McMath Solar Telescope, which has been the largest solar telescope for fifty years. This distinction will soon pass to the Advanced Technology Solar Telescope now under construction on Haleakalā. The relationships between other telescopes in southern Arizona and those on both Haleakalā and Mauna Kea will be highlighted. The talk will include key research, from Kitt Peak's major role in identifying the existence of dark matter to a new $100 million dollar project called Big BOSS (Baryonic Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey), a project with ties to Haleakalā's Pan-STARRS.

Maikalani Community Lecture: "Observing Planets from Haleakalā: Looking for traces of life on other planets," Dr. Sho Okano, Tohoku University, Japan, 6:30 p.m. at the Maikalani building in Pukalani, Maui. Free. Also streamed live online and on Second Life. Flier

Frontiers of Astronomy Community Event, "It's Not a Zombie Apocalypse: Scientific Views of Threats to Humanity," 7:30 p.m., UH Mānoa Art Building Auditorium (room 132). Free Admission (Campus Parking $6).

A UH NASA Astrobiology-selected panel of experts will discuss threats to Earth, including asteroid impacts, volcanism, and threats from technology and biology.

Maikalani Community Lecture: "How to Find Life on Other Planets," Prof.Svetlana Berdyugina, University of Freiburg, Germany and UH NASA Astrobiology Institute Senior Fellow, 6:30 p.m. at the Maikalani building in Pukalani, Maui. Free. Also streamed live online and on Second Life. Flier

Sixth Annual IfA Maui Open House, 6 to 8 p.m.: Look through a telescope, lab tours, science demonstrations, talks about Haleakala, the roundest object, Pan-STARRS, and more. Free Admission. Flier with map.

Maikalani Community Lecture: "A Universe of Universes? Reflections on Life and the Cosmos," Prof. Alex Filippenko, UC Berkeley, 6:30 p.m. at the Maikalani building in Pukalani, Maui. Free. Also streamed live online and on Second Life.

The laws of physics, as well as anthropic reasoning, may imply the existence of multiple universes, only a small minority of which couid be suitable for the development of complexity and life as we know it. Come hear arguments favoring the existence of a "multiverse," of which our Universe is one special member.

Maikalani Community Lecture: "Student Research with the Faulkes Telescopes," Dr. J. D. Armstrong, IfA, 6:30 p.m. at the Maikalani building in Pukalani, Maui. Free. Also streamed live online and on Second Life. Flier

The Faulkes Telescope North, here on Maui, and the Faulkes Telescope South, in Siding Springs Australia, are both 2.0 meter telescopes. Large enough for professional astronomers to use for real research, these telescopes were specifically built for education and outreach. This gives students in Hawai‘i and elsewhere an unprecedented opportunity to use a research-grade telescope for their research. Students have have taken their own data to study asteroids, supernova, variable stars, exoplanets, the Universe! I will describe a few examples of the amazing work in which kids are involved.

Sheraton Waikīkī Explorers of the Universe public lecture: 2011 Nobel Laureate for Physics Brian Schmidt, "The Accelerating Universe," Kennedy Theatre, 7:30 p.m. Tickets, which are free, are required for admission. They are available at http://the-accelerating-universe.ticketleap.com/the-accelerating-universe/.

Transit of Venus, noon to dusk

IfA will have telescopes with solar filters and free solar viewers for safe viewing at Waikīkī Beach, at the Pacific Aviation Museum on Ford Island, and at Ko Olina near Lagoon 4. Free! Never look directly at the sun without proper eye protection. Sunglasses do not provide enough protection.

Maikalani Community Lecture: "Searching for Earths,"Dr. Debra Fischer, Yale University, 6:30 p.m. at the Maikalani building in Pukalani, Maui. Free. Also streamed live online and on Second Life. Flier

Seventeen years ago, astronomers wondered whether planets orbited other stars, perhaps inhabited by beings that were peering back at us. Now we know that exoplanets abound — but what are these other worlds like, and how does our own solar system stack up? Are there good prospects for finding habitable worlds? How Earth-like do other planets need to be for astronomers to consider them good prospects for life? Astronomers are developing clever techniques to detect rocky worlds and to figure out if anyone is there.

Maikalani Community Lecture: "A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words (as long as it is not too blurred)," Dr. Stuart Jefferies, 6:30 p.m. at the Maikalani building in Pukalani, Maui. Free. Also streamed live online and on Second Life.

People rely heavily on visual information. Not surprisingly, digital imagery now plays a pivotal role in the global research arena, especially in the physical sciences and medicine. However, there are limits to the level of detail that can be seen in an image. These limits depend on both the details of the imaging instrument and the conditions under which the images are acquired. Two research areas that are active on Maui where improved image detail is strongly desired, but which is often extremely difficult to achieve, are astronomy and surveillance. In both cases we are regularly faced with the task of trying to extract meaningful information from imagery that looks to be hopelessly blurred. Moreover, we don't know what the object being imaged looks like or the details of how the image is blurred.

Activities, talks, displays, and demonstrations for all ages. Free admission and parking.

Maikalani Community Lecture: "The New Solar System," Dr. Marcelo Emilio, 6:30 p.m. at the Maikalani building in Pukalani, Maui. Free. Also streamed live online and on Second Life. Flier

In 2006, the International Astronomical Union modified the definition of "planet" and created a new category, "dwarf planet," that includes some of the larger asteroids and trans-Neptunian objects, the icy bodies orbiting the Sun beyond Neptune. In the last decade, both spacecraft sent to explore the solar system and ground-based observations have made exciting discoveries, including new dwarf planets and several moons. In this talk, Dr. Marcelo Emilio (Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa, Brazil) will cover several characteristics of planets, dwarf planets, moons, comets, and asteroids, and he will describe a technique called "stellar occultation" that is used to get information about trans-Neptunian objects.

Stargazing Party

Ko Olina Resort – 4th Lagoon Lawn between Marina and Ocean
7:30 p.m.–9 p.m.
Potluck dinner at 6:00 p.m.

Sponsored by
Friends of the UH Institute for Astronomy
Stars Above Hawaii at Ko Olina
Ko Olina Resort
Free

Maikalani Community Lecture: "Light Pollution on Maui," Dr. Joe Ritter, 6:30 p.m. at the Maikalani building in Pukalani, Maui. Free. Also streamed live online and on Second Life. Flier

Over-illumination wastes approximately two million barrels of oil per day in the United States alone. Light pollution is a serious issue for all of us on Maui and is one of the most rapidly increasing types of environmental pollution. It threatens sea turtle and bird populations, obscures the stars, and multiple studies indicate negative impacts on human health. Municipalities all over the world, including Maui, are considering switching to white LED street lighting with potentially adverse effects. However, relighting, with low blue content “spectrum compliant lighting” can result in large energy savings and reduced maintenance costs while still allowing good color rendition, protecting wildlife, human health and astronomy. Come learn about this important issue!

Frontiers of Astronomy Community Lecture, "The Quest for Habitable Worlds," Dr. Nader Haghighipour of the IfA & UH NASA Astrobiology Institute, Art Building Auditorium (room 132), UH Mānoa, 7:30 p.m, Free Admission (campus parking $6). Flier (pdf, 2 Mb)

Recent advancements in ground- and space-based astronomy have resulted in the discovery of several extrasolar planets that are only a few times the size of Earth. Some of these have surface temperatures favorable for the development of life. Dr. Haghighipour will explain how he and his collaborators find these planets and how they evaluate their potential for life.

Dr. Nader Haghighipour received his doctorate in planetary dynamics in 1999 from University of Missouri-Columbia. After a series of postdoctoral positions at the University of California-Irvine, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Institution of Washington, he joined the Institute for Astronomy and UH astrobiology program in 2004. He has been a member of NASA Astrobiology Institute since its creation in 1998, first through UCLA, then through Carnegie, and since 2004 through the IfA.  Dr. Haghighipour's research is on the formation and detection of habitable planetary systems.  He has several projects on the formation of planets and the origin of Earth's water, including a collaboration on the detection of main-belt comets. Another major part of his research is on the detection of (habitable)  planets in binary star systems (worlds with two suns). In addition to his busy research schedule, Dr. Haghighipour has edited a book on the topic of planets in binaries.  He has been invited to join the team of the collaborators of the Kepler space telescope in the planet-binary working group.  IfA recently issued a press release about one of his new discoveries of a new habitable planet.  Dr. Haghighpour recently received a Humboldt fellowship award to work on planets in binary star systems. As part of that award, he will spend a year in Germany at the Max Planck Institute and Tuebingen University.

Journey through the Universe, Hilo.

Thursday, March 1, 2012:
Master Educators/Astronomers' Workshop: 8 a.m.–12 p.m. ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center
Astronomy Educators will join the Master Educators 10 a.m.–12 p.m.

Friday, March 2 & Monday–Thursday, March 5–8, 2012:
Astronomy Educators will make classroom visits to Participating Schools

Saturday, March 3, 2012:
Journey Community Keynote and Workshops: 8 a.m.–3:30 p.m. at Hilo High School Flier

Sunday, March 4, 2012:
Journey through the Universe Family Science Day: 9 a.m.–4 p.m. at ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center with KTA Flier

Monday, March 5, 2012:
Hawai'i Chambers of Commerce Appreciation Event: 5–8 p.m. at Hilo Yacht Club Flier

Wednesday, March 7, 2012:
Journey through the Universe Family Science Night: 6–9 p.m. at University of Hawai‘i at Hilo

Maikalani Community Lecture: "Discovery of the Cosmos," Russ Genet, 6:30 p.m. at the Maikalani building in Pukalani, Maui. Free. Also streamed live online and on Second Life. Flier

Over the centuries, scientific models of the cosmos have undergone major revisions. An Earth-centered model reigned supreme until Copernicus proposed and Galileo's observations confirmed a simpler sun-centered universe. By the late 1600s, Kepler's analysis and Newton's calculus had turned our solar system into a cozy clockwork universe, and astronomers understood that stars are extremely distant suns. In the early 20th century, Edwin Hubble discovered that spiral-shaped nebulae are galaxies well outside our Milky Way and that the universe is expanding. The latest word is that its expansion is accelerating—a runaway universe pushed apart by mysterious dark energy.

Russ Genet is a Research Scholar in Residence at California Polytechnic State University and Adjunct Professor of Astronomy at Cuesta College. In the 1980s he pioneered automated telescopes, robotic observatories, and remote Internet access. Russ was the 92nd President of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific.

Maikalani Community Lecture: Amateur Astronomy Night with Becky Sydney and Steve McGee, 6:30 p.m. at the Maikalani building in Pukalani, Maui. Free. Also streamed live online. Flier

For over 20 years, Becky's passion for astronomy has developed into her true vocation and way of life. She founded the Maui Astronomy Club and teaches throughout the community. Come learn more and Join the Club!

Steve McGee is a member of the Haleakala Amateur Astronomers, and has developed a passion for observing binary stars. He will discuss the history of binary star observations and why it is still important to observe them.

The City Dark, a feature documentary about light pollution and the disappearing night sky, 7 p.m. in the UH Mānoa Art Auditorium. Free and open to the public (campus parking $6). Join us for the screening and discussion with filmmaker Ian Cheney and astronomer Dr. Richard Wainscoat, IfA's resident expert on light pollution.

The City Dark premiered in competition at the 2011 South by Southwest Film Festival, where it won the Jury Prize for Best Score/Music. Filmmaker Ian Cheney, who moved to light-polluted New York City from rural Maine, asks, "Do we need the dark?" Exploring the threat of killer asteroids in Hawai‘i, tracking hatching turtles along the Florida coast, and rescuing injured birds on Chicago streets, Cheney unravels the myriad implications of a globe glittering with lights—including increased breast cancer rates from exposure to light at night, and a generation of kids without a glimpse of the universe above. Featuring stunning astrophotography and a cast of eclectic scientists (including IfA's Jeff Kuhn), philosophers, historians, and lighting designers, The City Dark is the definitive story of light pollution and the disappearing stars. Watch the trailer!

Sponsored by the Institute for Astronomy, Enterprise Honolulu, the Halekulani, Rebuild Hawai‘i Consortium, and the State of Hawai‘i

Maui Student/Teacher Heliophysics Workshop

Geared toward intermediate and high school science teachers and selected students. Hands-on activities in electromagnetism, atom/ion formation, and IBEX satellite simulation. Sessions with solar astronomers Dr. Stuart Jefferies, Dr. J. D. Armstrong, and Dr. Jeff Kuhn from IfA Maui.

Frontiers of Astronomy Community Lecture, "Black Holes and the Fate of the Universe," by Dr. Günther Hasinger, Director, IfA , UH Mānoa Art Building Auditorium (room 132). 7:30 p.m. Free Admission (Campus Parking $5). Poster

The first, relatively small, black holes that formed in the early Universe were the seeds of the larger supermassive black holes found at the centers of galaxies. These supermassive black holes can survive much longer than other structures and forms of matter. Even as dark energy accelerates the expansion of Universe forever, the largest black holes will continue to grow to hundreds of billions of solar masses and live as long as 10¹⁰⁰ years. Thus, the first ultradense objects in the Universe will also be the last ones.

Longer abstract (pdf)

Live Webcast at http://kopiko.ifa.hawaii.edu/videos/livestream.html

Maikalani Community Lecture: Dr. David Dearborn, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, "Avoiding Armageddon: Diverting Asteroids with Nuclear Explosives," 6:30 p.m. at the Maikalani building in Pukalani, Maui. Free. Also streamed live online. Flier

NASA's Spaceguard Survey has expanded solar system membership by over 500,000 asteroids, of which 1,244 are characterized as "potentially hazardous objects." Fortunately, the time between impacts is long, but unless we can deflect them, impacts with the potential to destroy regions, even or whole civilizations, will occur. This lecture presents an overview of the impact threat, followed by a look at what is needed to divert such objects with nuclear explosives, a well-characterized technology and the only way now available to deflect asteroids with a diameter greater than 300 meters.

Maikalani Community Lecture: Dr. Dave Sanders, IfA, "Galactic Cannabalism and the Ultimate Fate of Our Milky Way," 6:30 p.m. at the Maikalani building in Pukalani, Maui. Free. Also streamed live online. Flier

Deep surveys of the sky now reveal that galaxy formation is often a messy process, where big galaxies grow by gobbling up smaller ones. Their shapes change from picturesque grand design spirals with their bluish young stars, into more rotund ellipticals with their mostly "red and dead" old stars. Our home galaxy, the Milky Way, is a relative latecomer to this process of galactic cannibalism, but eventually we will undergo a spectacular merger with our nearest big neighbor, the Andromeda Galaxy (M31). I will expand on this tale of galactic transformation by showing spectacular new imaging data of the distant universe from our COSMOS Survey, the largest project ever carried out with the Hubble Space Telescope.

Fifth Annual IfA Maui Open House, 6 to 8 p.m. at the Maikalani building in Pukalani, Maui. Free. Flier

Look through a Telescope

Lab Tours

Science Demonstartions

Talks

For more information, 808-573-9519

Maikalani Community Lecture: Dr. Alex Filippenko, Professor of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, "Hearts of Darkness: Black Holes in Space," 6:30 p.m. at the Maikalani building in Pukalani, Maui. Free. Also streamed live online. Flier

Black holes are regions of space where gravity is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape! No longer confined to the fertile imaginations of science-fiction writers and theoretical physicists, numerous black holes have recently been discovered by observational astronomers. Stellar-mass black holes can form during the deaths of some types of massive stars, and supermassive black holes are found at the centers of galaxies. Come learn about the remarkable properties of these bizarre objects.

Maikalani Community Lecture: Dr. J. D. Armstrong, IfA, "Exoplanets: Discovering New Worlds," 6:30 p.m. at the Maikalani building in Pukalani. Free. Flier

Maikalani Community Lecture: Prof. Don Kurtz, Jeremiah Horrocks Institute, University of Central Lancashire, "Asteroseismology: The Real Music of the Spheres," 6:30 p.m. at the Maikalani building in Pukalani. Free. Flier

Maikalani Community Lecture: IfA Graduate Student Cooper Downs, "Solar Tsunamis: Observations and Models of Large-Scale Coronal Waves" 6:30 p.m. at the Maikalani building in Pukalani. Free. Flier

Maikalani Community Lecture: Adalbert Ding, "The Physics of Music, or What Do a Tuba and a Tsunami Have in Common?" 6:30 p.m. at the Maikalani building in Pukalani. Free. Flier

Maikalani Community Lecture: J. D. Armstrong, "Tracking Asteroids – Ninjas of the Solar System," 6:30 p.m. at the Maikalani building in Pukalani. Free. Flier

Maikalani Community Lecture: Garrett Lisi, "A Geometry Theory of Everything," 6:30 p.m. at the Maikalani building in Pukalani. Free. Flier

Frontiers of Astronomy Community Lecture, "House of the Sun ...the world’s largest daytime telescope is coming to Haleakala Hawaii," by Dr. Jeff Kuhn, Astrophysicist and Associate Director, IfA Maui, UH Manoa Art Building Auditorium (room 132). 7:30 p.m. Free Admission (Campus Parking $5). Poster (pdf) Two-minute audio interview with Dr. Kuhn courtesy Clear Channel Hawaii

Maikalani Community Lecture: "Our Maui Skies," 6:30 p.m. at the Maikalani building in Pukalani. Free. Flier

Frontiers of Astronomy Community Lecture, "Einstein vs. Santa," by Dr. Robert Jedicke (IfA), UH Manoa Art Building Auditorium (room 132). 7:30 p.m. Free Admission (Campus Parking $5). Poster (pdf)

Frontiers of Astronomy Community Lecture, "Who Wants to Be a One-In-A-Millionaire? The Odds of Intelligent Life & Civilization in the Galaxy," by Dr. Steven Desch (Arizona State University), 7:30 p.m., UH Manoa Art Building Auditorium (room 132). Free Admission (Campus Parking $5).

Poster (pdf)

Maikalani Community Lecture: "Astrobiology," Dr. Marcelo Emliio, 6:30 p.m. at the Maikalani building in Pukalani. Free. Flier

On July 11, an international team of solar physicists gathered on the Tatakoto Atoll in the Tuamotu island chain of French Polynesia to observe the total solar eclipse. The expedition on the remote atoll was a great logistic challenge, but with the help of our Tahitian hosts we managed to overcome every obstacle and mishap, and successfully observed the eclipse. Dr. Lin will describe the experiments and our experience on the atoll, and show new high-resolution images of the solar corona obtained during the eclipse.

Frontiers of Astronomy Community Lecture, "Galactic Cannibalism: The Ultimate Fate of Our Milky Way," by IfA astronomer David Sanders, 7:30 p.m., UH Manoa Art Building Auditorium (room 132). Free Admission (Campus Parking $5). Flier

Annual IfA Maui Open House, 6 to 8 p.m. at the Maikalani building in Pukalani. Free. 808-573-9500

Featuring talks about science on Haleakala and Maui Astronomy Research, Lab Tours, and Fun Demonstrations.

Flier: pdf (1.5 Mb) or gif (172 kb)

Hilo AstroTalk: "The Dynamic Sky and the Birth of Stars," Dr. Josh Walawender, UH Institute for Astronomy, 4-5 p.m. at the ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawai‘i in Hilo. Free. 

Dr. Walawender will explore the process of star birth and explain how stars are monitored nightly over many years to find out how they grow and evolve.

Maikalani Community Lecture: "Meteorites: Probes of the Early History of the Solar System," Dr. Klaus Keil, UH Hawai‘i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, 6:30 p.m. at the Maikalani building in Pukalani. Free.  Flier

Maikalani Community Lecture: "The Antikythera Mechanism: An Ancient Astronomical Computer," Dr. Gareth Wynn-Williams, UH Institute for Astronomy, 6:30 p.m. at the Maikalani building in Pukalani. Free.  Flier

Astrobiology Laboratory Institute for Instructors (ALI‘I) National Summer Teacher Workshop, June 27–July 2, 2010

Maikalani Community Lecture: "Dark Energy and the Runaway Universe," Dr. Alex Filippenko, UC Berkeley, 6:30 p.m. at the Maikalani building in Pukalani. Free.  Flier

HI Student/Teacher Astronomy Research (HI STAR) National Program, June 4–9, 2010
A one-week residential summer astronomy camp for students in grades 7-11 students and their teachers.

Note: Application deadline was March 26, 2010

End-of-Term Hawaii Open Meeting on Exoplanets
Pacific Ocean Sciences and Technology (POST) 723
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Conveners: Eric Gaidos, Clint Conrad, Miriam Riner

Flier (pdf)

Maikalani Community Lecture: "The Art of Science: From Cave Paintings to Computers," Dr. Gary Greenberg, at 6:30 p.m. at the Maikalani building in Pukalani. Free.

The secrets of nature are visible everywhere, yet they remain secrets until they are discovered. Although art and science seem poles apart, both artists and scientists passionately strive to the same end – to reveal and communicate a deeper understanding of nature and the human condition. Dr. Greenberg will highlight the works of the great individuals throughout history who have endeavored to combine art and science. The legacy of the Renaissance marked the convergence of art and science, and we are now entering a new age where this same ideal offers us an exciting way to see the modern world.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

poster (jpg)

Frontiers of Astronomy Community Lecture, "The Fractal Nature of the Universe," by IfA astronomer Paul Coleman. 7:30 p.m., UH Manoa Art Auditorium. Free Admission (Campus Parking $5).

Fractals are geometric shapes that can be repetitively subdivided into parts, each of which is a smaller copy of the whole. Many examples of fractal geometry are seen in astronomy, from nearby objects such as our Sun, to phenomena in our Milky Way galaxy, such as the distribution of masers (the microwave equivalent of lasers), to phenomena at the largest scales we can now measure, such as the distributions of galaxies and quasars. After some fractal concepts and methods are introduced, this talk will highlight some of these phenomena, beginning with our near neighbors and ending with the large-scale structure of the Universe.

Dr. Paul H. I. Coleman is an astrophysicist with the UH Institute for Astronomy. In the early seventies, he graduated from St. Louis High School and left Hawai‘i in to attend the University of Notre Dame. There he obtained a B.S. in physics and began an almost 30-year journey throughout the world before returning to Hawai‘i in 2002. Dr. Coleman obtained a Ph.D. in physics in 1985 from the University of Pittsburgh and held positions with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Virginia Tech, the Kapteyn Astronomical Institute and the Sterrewacht (Observatory) in the Netherlands, New Mexico Tech and the Very Large Array in New Mexico, and the University of Puerto Rico and the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. As a result of an investigation he undertook on the distribution of galaxies in the Universe, the creator of fractal geometry, Dr. Benoit Mandelbrot, invited him to work with him at Yale University for a year.

At UH, Dr. Coleman does public outreach, research, and teaches. He is the Institute for Astronomy project scientist for the Faulkes Telescope North, the world's largest telescope dedicated to use by K-12 students, and he is the director of the IfA’s Research Experience for Undergraduates summer program, which is funded by the National Science Foundation. He is also a member of the University's Kuali‘i Council, a body of Native Hawaiian professors, instructors, and graduate students at the Manoa campus.

IfA Manoa Open House, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free. Exhibits, games, talks for all ages.

Maikalani Community Lecture: "Astronomy Research and Internship Opportunities at UH Maui College," John Pye, professor of physical sciences at UH Maui College (formerly Maui Community College), 6:30 p.m., at the Maikalani building in Pukalani. Free.

With the advent of new technology, there are now more opportunities than ever for amateur astronomers and students to become involved in astronomy research. John Pye, a professor of physical sciences at Maui Community College (now UH Maui College) since 1982, will present a talk focusing on experiential education. He will provide some background about the development and implementation of a new lab course at the college that has enabled interested students to become involved in astronomy research projects and to have paid internships.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Web page

Frontiers of Astronomy Community Lecture: "When and How Did Our Planet Become Conducive to Life?" Presented by IfA and the UH NASA Astrobiology Institute, 7:30 p.m., UH Manoa Art Auditorium. Free Admission (Campus Parking $5).

Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the Universe. For now, the only life we know is that found on our planet. Yet, as Charles Darwin observed, “These elaborately constructed forms, so different from each other, and dependent upon each other in so complex a manner, have all been produced by laws acting around us.” How did one particular ball of molten rock evolve a surface of blue oceans and green lands teeming with life? Our panel will present the latest scientific findings about the events that rendered our planet habitable.

Haphazard Planet Construction
Jeff Taylor, Hawai‘i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology

Origin of Earth’s Water
Karen Meech, Institute for Astronomy

Habitability of Our Planet—and Others?
Steve Mojzsis, Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado

with an introduction by Steve Freeland, Project Manager, UH NASA Astrobiology Institute

Maui Maikalani Community Lecture: Wayne Rosing, "The Las Cumbres Global Observatory – We Keep You In The Dark" at 6:30 p.m. at the Maikalani building in Pukalani. Free.

The Faulkes Telescope North located atop Haleakala is part of developing global network of forty two robotic telescopes. The network will allow continuous access to the night sky for students and researchers – we'll keep you in the dark all the time! Wayne will discuss the developing telescope network and the educational opportunities that are already being provided to the community. He will also discuss the implications for having significant telescope time available during regular school hours for students located all over the world.

Maui Maikalani Community Lecture: Dr. Jeff Kuhn, "Could the Sun be shrinking? How satellite measurements are changing
our understanding of the Sun and climate.," at 6:30 p.m. at the Maikalani building in Pukalani. Free.

The most accurate measurements ever obtained about the Sun are suprising in their accuracy yet tantalizing in their detail. With now a solar cycle of exquisite observations from space we have only hints about why the Sun changes. We'll explore some of the solar mysteries surrounding this long standing puzzle.