#Hubble Space Telescope

Distinct origins of two outermost rings of Uranus uncovered by new study

Researchers with the help of a Mauna Kea observatory on the Big Island construct first complete spectrum of the two distinct rings orbiting around the seventh planet in the solar system, revealing composition and formation history.

Rare interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS coming closest to Earth on Friday

From atop Maunakea on the Big Island to around the world, astronomers and citizen stargazers are eagerly awaiting the passage of the interstellar comet through our solar system.

Keck Observatory observes first gravitationally lensed superluminous supernova

Astronomers have discovered the first-ever spatially resolved, gravitationally lensed superluminous supernova. The object, dubbed SN 2025wny, offers a rare look at a stellar cataclysm from the early Universe and provides a striking confirmation of Einstein’s theory of general relativity. The discovery relied on a chain of cutting-edge observatories collaborating on scientific breakthroughs.

Keck Observatory: Astronomers sharpen the universe’s expansion rate, deepening a cosmic mystery

A team of astronomers using a variety of ground and space-based telescopes including the W. M. Keck Observatory on Maunakea, Hawaiʻi Island, have made one of the most precise independent measurements yet of how fast the universe is expanding, further deepening the divide on one of the biggest mysteries in modern cosmology.

Astronomers find evidence challenging conventional galaxy formation models

Astronomers using W. M. Keck Observatory at Maunakea on Hawaiʻi Island have found compelling evidence of a dark matter-deficient dwarf galaxy, FCC 224. The discovery challenges the traditional cosmological paradigm, which assumes dark matter is a fundamental component in galaxy formation.

Researchers work to unlock secrets of supernovae, exploding stars

Using multiple telescopes, researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science are working to understand supernovae, exploding stars, dating back millions of light-years and considered the building blocks of the universe and life itself.

$4M NASA grant to help UH researchers develop new sensors to observe distant planets

This new mission aims to unambiguously identify and classify about 25 Earth-like exoplanets to determine if they possess atmospheres suitable for life. The UH team will provide the sensors for that project.

Hubble Telescope and Hawaiʻi observatory spot possible runaway black hole

Astronomers using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and W. M. Keck Observatory on Maunakea, Hawaiʻi have spotted a strange streak of baby stars and shocked gas measuring 200,000 light-years long – possibly the trail left behind by a fleeing black hole. If this candidate runaway black hole is confirmed, it’ll be the first evidence of a supermassive black hole kicked out of its home galaxy, proving a prediction made 50 years ago, according to astronomers.

University of Hawai‘i Astronomers to Help Map the First Galaxies of the Universe

”Ground-based observations from Maunakea will be critical for turning the JWST images into a three-dimensional map of the universe,” said David Sanders, lead IfA investigator.