News Stories
UH Astronomers Uncover Risks to Planets That Could Host Life
A groundbreaking study has revealed that red...
Up to $85M from NASA for UH management of Maunakea telescope
The IfA has been selected by NASA to continue to...
UH-discovered asteroid makes close approach to Earth, no impact risk
An asteroid newly-discovered by one of our ATLAS...
UH astronomers, Maunakea telescope part of NASA’s $19.5M artificial star mission
IfA astronomers and the UH 88" telescope on...
UH astronomers help uncover array of strange exoplanet worlds
An international scientific team, with major...
UH astronomer leads effort to unlock sun secrets during eclipse
Award-winning astronomer Shadia Habbal from the...
Star ripped apart by black hole in rare discovery
IfA astronomers have uncovered the closest...
Maunakea telescope captures extreme stellar eruption
The discovery of a powerful eruption on a...
IfA Astronomer Karen Meech Named AAS Fellow
IfA astronomer Karen Meech has been named a...
In Memoriam: John T. Jefferies
John Jefferies, the founding Director of the...
UH launching space tech development center, student-training hub
UH is in the initial stages of establishing a...
Physics behind unusual behavior of stars’ super flares discovered
A team led by University of Hawaiʻi Institute...
IfA-discovered asteroid named for UH astronomy founder
A near-Earth asteroid now officially bears the...
Hawaiʻi astronomers part of $11M grant to design software for new space telescope
A University of Hawaiʻi astronomer is co-leading...
Vast bubble of galaxies discovered, given Hawaiian name
A University of Hawaiʻi-led discovery of an...
Awards for Six IfA Graduate Students
Six IfA graduate students received local and...
‘Potentially hazardous’ asteroid identified through new algorithm
The roughly 600-foot-long asteroid, designated...
Sun ‘umbrella’ tethered to asteroid might help mitigate climate change
IfA astronomer István Szapudi has proposed a...
Hawaiʻi observatories play critical role adding color to new space mission
Observing billions of galaxies across more than...
Hawaiʻi astronomers discover death-defying planet
When our Sun reaches the end of its life, it...
$4M boosts IfA development of new sensors for exoplanet imaging
A research team led by IfA astronomer Michael...
In Memoriam: Nick Kaiser
Long-time University of Hawaiʻi Institute for...
Aspiring astronomer from Hawaiʻi Island heads to world’s largest HS science fair
The Maunakea Scholars program is sending its...
Southwest Airlines donates flight support, $10K to IfA
The IfA has received $10,000 from Southwest...
Blending of astronomy, art represented in student-designed IfA mural
A student-designed mural blending astronomy and...
Best spectrum ever obtained of planetary-mass object outside our solar system
Researchers observing with NASA’s James Webb...
Largest catalog of exploding stars now available
The largest data release of relatively nearby...
National hall of fame inducts UH astronomy alumna
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Institute for...
First observational evidence linking black holes to dark energy
Searching through existing data spanning 9...
Astronomers reveal new map of dark matter, mass in universe
IfA Astronomer Eric Baxter co-authored new...
UH astrophysics pioneer awarded national honor
The AAS has awarded UH Astronomer Karen Meech...
Akamai Internship Program Applications Open
The Akamai Summer Internship program, which...
Planet spiraling to its doom discovered by UH astronomers
For the first time, astronomers have spotted an...
UH telescope site used to help collect essential climate change data
New NOAA CO2 measuring station installed at UH88 telescope on Maunakea as backup for Maunaloa
Asteroid defense test success confirmed by Hawaiʻi telescopes
NASA’s successful planetary defense test that...
UH astronomers map distances to 56,000 galaxies
How old is our universe, and what is its size? A...
IfA Plays Important Role in NASA DART Mission
NASA is preparing to crash a spacecraft the size...
JWST Takes Its First Exoplanet Image
A team including UH astronomers has taken the first-ever direct exoplanet image with JWST.
UH astronomers produce catalog to extensively map universe
What does our universe look like at the largest...
UH discovery among first images captured by Webb Space Telescope
NASA and The White House have released the very...
Pioneering UH female astronomer featured in new book on navigating male-dominated field
IfA's own Ann Boesgaard tells her story in "The...
UH astronomers mentor Maui keiki for future science careers
From May 30 through June 3, HI-STAR hosted its...
IfA Graduate Student named ARCS Scholar of the Year
IfA doctoral candidate Miles Lucas was named one...
IfA astronomer receives UH Regent’s Research Award
IfA astronomer Xudong Sun has been awarded a...
IfA participates in STEM learning event for IHS at-risk keiki, women
After a two year hiatus due to the pandemic, the...
AstroDay makes full return after 2-year hiatus
Scientists and educators from across the islands...
Lānaʻi high schoolers to use telescopes on Maunakea, Haleakalā
An inaugural cohort of Maunakea Scholars at...
IfA students and grads receive honors
A plethora of graduate students and alumni from...
Alan Tokunaga named AAAS Fellow
Alan Tokunaga, former IRTF Director, who retired...
Teen mentored by UH astronomers publishes solar research
Local high school student Lucy Will, mentored by...
World’s most powerful solar telescope begins observations from Haleakalā
A new era of solar science commenced when the...
IfA alumnus lands Sloan Fellowship to expand extrasolar planet research
IfA graduate Brendan Bowler (PhD 2013) has...
Astronomers trace galaxy flows across 700 Million light years
In a major new study, a team of astronomers from...
UH-discovered Earth Trojan asteroid is largest to date
An asteroid bigger than the UH Mānoa campus,...
Just Look Up: Expanded UH asteroid tracking system can monitor entire sky
A state-of-the-art asteroid alert system...
Newly-discovered planets will be ‘swallowed’ by their stars
IfA Astronomers are part of a team that recently...
Explosion of supergiant star captured by UH telescope
A team of researchers used IfA's Panoramic...
Enhanced SETI instrument installed on Haleakalā
Ongoing research into the potential for finding...
Ground-breaking UH-designed sensors aboard NASA’s historic space telescope
Technology developed and tested at the University of Hawaiʻi Institute for Astronomy (IfA) and on Maunakea are behind JWST’s ability to gaze deeper into space than ever before.
IfA Astronomer Dan Huber on 2021 Highly Cited Researchers List
IfA Astronomer Dan Huber is one of 4 UH researchers featured in the 2021 Web of Science’s Highly Cited Researchers list. Great work Dan!
UH solar eclipse chasers prepare for Antarctica expedition
IfA Astronomer Shadia Rifai Habbal and her eclipse team, the Solar Wind Sherpas, are busy testing equipment for the Dec. 4 eclipse, before they depart Hawaiʻi for Antarctica on November 22 and 24.
New Method to Detect Tatooine-like Planets Validated
A new technique developed in part by University of Hawaiʻi astronomer Nader Haghighipour has allowed scientists to quickly detect a transiting planet with two suns.
New study proposes expansion of the universe directly impacts growth of black holes
A team of researchers from the Universities of Hawai`i, Chicago, and Michigan have proposed a novel solution to the problem of the unexpectedly large black hole masses found by gravitational wave observatories: that they grow with the expansion of the Universe.
HI–STAR: ‘I Love Lucy’ satellite captivates Maui teens
Two budding astronomers from Maui High School continue to hone their skills at solving the mysteries of the universe, thanks to the help of a HI–STAR mentor. Freshmen Wilson Chau and Holden Suzuki observed NASA’s recently-launched Lucy satellite on its journey to visit several Trojan asteroids.
NASA awards $15M for asteroid hunting telescopes on Maui
The IfA received a $15 million NASA grant to continue its world-leading efforts to discover Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) and Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs).
Infant planet discovered by UH-led team using Maunakea telescopes
One of the youngest planets ever found around a distant infant star has been discovered by an international team of scientists led by University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa faculty, students, and alumni.
UH astronomers use local ship to prepare for Antarctic eclipse expedition
The next total solar eclipse is December 4, but there’s no easy way to view it because totality will be over Antarctica! IfA Astronomer Shadia Habbal has partnered with local company Atlantis Cruises, to test their equipment on its vessel, the Majestic.
A Rocky Planet Around One of Our Galaxy’s Oldest Stars
University of Hawaiʻi Astronomers Using W. M....
Fastest Asteroid Around the Sun Discovered
A team including University of Hawaiʻi Institute for Astronomy (IfA) astronomer David Tholen has discovered an asteroid with the shortest known orbital period around the Sun – only 113 days.
UH-discovered comet could become visible in spring 2022
A new comet discovered this summer by University of Hawaiʻi’s Pan-STARRS1 telescope atop Hakeakalā may become bright enough for spectators to see as it moves closer to Earth.
Unparalleled bounty of oscillating red giant stars detected
Oscillations in the Sun were first observed in the 1960s. But solar-like oscillations in thousands of stars weren’t detected until the French-led Convection, Rotation and Planetary Transits space telescope, which operated from 2006 to 2013.
Massive COCONUTS exoplanet discovery led by UH grad student
Astronomers have discovered thousands of exoplanets—planets beyond our solar system—but few have been directly imaged, because they are extremely difficult to see with existing telescopes.
Asteroids named after UH astronomers
Naming asteroids is serious business.
IfA students receive research, teaching accolades
Graduate students at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Institute for Astronomy (IfA) are raking in recognition for their excellence in research and teaching.
Lunar eclipse aids in locating 3 Near-Earth asteroids
Every night, the University of Hawaiʻi Pan-STARRS telescopes on Hakeakalā scan the sky for Near-Earth Objects (NEOs), asteroids or comets that may come close to or even hit Earth in the future.
Award-winning science TV show features UH astronomer, students
The award-winning television show, Xploration Awesome Planet will feature University of Hawaiʻi Institute for Astronomy (IfA) education and outreach specialist, J.D. Armstrong and his students on Saturday, May 15, at 2:30 p.m. on KHON.
Kalani senior’s astronomy research proposal shines
The phrase, “out-of-this-world” has taken on a whole new meaning for Ashley Kaya.
Astronomy student’s fiery ‘Old Faithful’ discovery earns national award
Unraveling an explosive mystery 570 million light-years away from Earth is an accomplishment belonging to the University of Hawaiʻi Institute for Astronomy graduate student Anna Payne.
‘Farfarout!’ Solar system’s most distant planetoid confirmed
A team, including an astronomer from the University of Hawaiʻi Institute for Astronomy (IfA), have confirmed a planetoid that is almost four times farther from the Sun than Pluto, making it the most distant object ever observed in our solar system.
UH graduate student discovers long-sought ‘Old Faithful’ active galaxy
The centers of galaxies with actively feeding...
CRITICAL OBSERVATION MADE ON MAUNAKEA DURING FIRST NIGHT OF RETURN TO OPERATIONS
The existing astronomical observatories on...
Astronomers to deploy breakthrough technology at UH telescope
The National Science Foundation has awarded a...
NASA awards grants to 3 UH grad students
NASA awarded three graduate students at...
ASTRONOMERS MAP VAST VOID IN OUR COSMIC NEIGHBORHOOD
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 22 JULY 2019 Contacts:...
NASA contract awarded to UH Institute for Astronomy for observatory management
NASA has awarded a contract to the University of Hawaiʻi Institute for Astronomy to continue to manage and operate the agency’s Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) on Maunakea.
ʻOumuamua is Not an Alien Spacecraft
An international team of asteroid and comet experts, including two from the University of Hawaiʻi, agrees on a natural origin for our first interstellar visitor.
Breakthrough: UH team successfully locates incoming asteroid
For the first time, astronomers at the University of Hawaiʻi have demonstrated that their ATLAS and Pan-STARRS survey telescopes can provide sufficient warning to move people away from the impact site of an incoming asteroid.
TMT receives notice to proceed from the state
Gov. David Ige announced that the state Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) issued a notice to proceed (NTP) to the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo for the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project on Maunakea on Hawaiʻi Island.
UH astronomer earns national award for solar research
The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded an assistant astronomer at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Institute for Astronomy one of its most prestigious awards for junior faculty.
Scientists Fill Out A Circumbinary Planetary System
A team of astronomers, including Nader Haghighipour from the Institute for Astronomy at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, have discovered a third planet in the circumbinary planetary system Kepler-47.
Hawaiʻi Team Catches Asteroid As It Self-Destructs
Astronomers once thought asteroids were boring, wayward space rocks that simply orbit around the Sun. New observations are turning these ideas on their heads, showing that asteroids are anything but dull. Asteroid Gault, discovered in 1998, has begun to slowly disintegrate.
University of Hawaiʻi Astronomer Awarded Prestigious Sloan Foundation Fellowship
Daniel Huber, an Assistant...
World’s largest digital sky survey issues biggest astronomical data release ever
This image is a mosaic of sky photographs taken...
Astronomer Receives American Astronomical Society’s Highest Award
Ann Merchant Boesgaard, Professor of Astronomy, Emerita at the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy (IfA), has been awarded the 2019 Henry Norris Russell Lectureship by the American Astronomical Society (AAS).
Discovered: The Most-Distant Solar System Object Ever Observed
A team of astronomers has discovered the most distant body ever observed in our solar system. It is the first known solar system object that has been detected at a distance that is more than 100 times farther than Earth is from the Sun.
Newly discovered supernova may rewrite exploding star origin theories
A supernova discovered by an international group of astronomers has provided an unprecedented look at the first moments of a violent stellar explosion.
WAIPAHU HS STUDENT, MAUNAKEA SCHOLAR STUDIES STAR WARS PLANET
The Star Wars universe turned from science...
Maunakea Visitor Information Station begins improvements; stargazing and operating hours impacted
University of Hawaiʻi Contact: Daniel...
BEST VIEW YET OF SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLES IN MERGING GALAXIES
A team of astronomers, including IfA’s David Sanders and former IfA postdoc Mike Koss, have used the W. M. Keck Observatory on Muanakea and the Hubble Space Telescope to complete the most detailed census of supermassive black holes in colliding galaxies.
While Seeking Planet X, Astronomers Find a Distant Solar System Objectzsd
Astronomers have discovered a new object at the edge of our Solar System.