#maunakea
UH Hilo astronomer studies galaxy collision, explains what it means for our own Milky Way
The research reveals that the collision, which began 440 million years ago, has ignited star formation up to 10 times the normal rate while dramatically scrambling the chemical composition across both galaxies.
Swarm of 28 tectonic earthquakes detected beneath Maunakea
The HVO reports that these tectonic events are not related to magma movement. “Stress gradually accumulates over time and is most likely due to the weight of the island,” according to the HVO.
HVO Volcano Watch — Pele, Lono, and Hiʻiaka remind us of Nature’s power
The summit region of Kīlauea experienced tephra fallout and a Kona low storm this past week. Cleanup, recovery, and regrowth is ongoing. These processes are natural and have been recognized and embodied in Native Hawaiian oral traditions about Pele, Lono, and Hiʻiaka.
Haleakalā telescope opponents show up in droves, but hold little hope the military is listening
Military officials have given no indication they’re considering pulling back the project, and many residents felt like their voices were once again being ignored.
Subaru Telescope’s new eye on the cosmos gets a Hawaiian name: ʻŌnohiʻula
Subaru Telescope’s powerful new Prime Focus Spectrograph (PFS) has been given the Hawaiian name ʻŌnohiʻula, merging the instrument’s scientific mission of “perceiving the realm of our origins” with the cultural heritage of Hawaiʻi.
Air Force advances plans to build 7 more telescopes on Haleakalā as fuel spill cleanup continues
The military will be holding public meetings this week to gather input about the project that already has met with past opposition by some community groups, Maui Mayor Richard Bissen and the County Council.
Keck Observatory: Astronomers reveal tasty insights into exoplanet formation using ‘SPAM’
A new study using data from the W. M. Keck Observatory on Maunakea serves up the closest-ever view of a planet-forming disk around young star HD 34282 using the SPAM survey — The Search for Protoplanets with Aperture Masking, affectionately referred to as SPAM.
Keck Observatory data reveals a dead star still consuming its planetary system
Astronomers using data from the W. M. Keck Observatory on Maunakea in Hawaiʻi Island have identified a rare, ancient planetary system still being actively consumed by its central white dwarf star, LSPM J0207+3331.
UH engineers help sharpen our view of space
A groundbreaking new instrument that lets astronomers see deeper into space than ever before using a single telescope was brought to life with help from a University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa faculty member.
Subaru Telescope uncovers “fossil” from the early days of our solar system
Scientists using the Subaru Telescope on Maunakea have discovered a new celestial object that could provide groundbreaking insight into the earliest days of our Solar System. The object, officially named 2023 KQ14 and affectionately nicknamed “Ammonite” by the research team, is believed to be a preserved relic—or “fossil”—from the Solar System’s infancy.
UH to decommission 3rd Maunakea telescope
UKIRT will be the third Maunakea observatory to be decommissioned under UH’s Maunakea Comprehensive Management Plan, following Caltech Submillimeter Observatory and UH Hilo Hōkū Keʻa Observatory, both completed in 2024.
OHA withdraws Maunakea litigation
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) Board of Trustees today approved the immediate withdrawal of its two longstanding lawsuits concerning Maunakea, marking a pivotal shift towards collaborative stewardship and cultural preservation of the sacred mountain.
Volcano Watch — Tilt, Tremor, and Lava: Remembering Maunaloa’s 2022 Eruption
Volcano Watch: As people from around the world are captivated by episodic lava fountaining during the ongoing Kīlauea eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu, let’s use the current pause and transition our attention back to the details of another recent eruption—Maunaloa in 2022.
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.
Maunakea listed on National Register of Historic Places
Maunakea on Hawaiʻi Island is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The majestic mountain earned the designation on March 27, 2025, and is identified as a Traditional Cultural Property or TCP and District by the federal government of the United States.
Astronomers: YR4 asteroid will not hit Earth in 2032, but has ~2% chance of moon strike
Despite being a scenario widely pondered by astronomers and Hollywood writers for decades, further observations have since determined YR4 will not impact the Earth in 2032 as originally predicted. However, there is a ~2% chance it could hit the Moon instead, according to the study.
Famed WR 104 ‘pinwheel’ star reveals another surprise… and some relief
Decades of W.M. Keck Observatory research on the famed Wolf-Rayet 104 “pinwheel star” system has taken a new turn.
Keck Observatory helps identify possible triple system in Kuiper Belt
A team of researchers using data from W. M. Keck Observatory on Maunakea, Hawaiʻi Island, and NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has likely discovered a stable trio of icy space rocks in the solar system’s Kuiper Belt. If confirmed, the 148780 Altjira system would be the second known three-body system in the region, suggesting similar triples may exist and supporting a theory about the solar system’s history and early formation of Kuiper Belt objects.
UH: Images captured with Submillimeter Array on Maunakea illuminate birth of planetary systems
An observatory on Maunakea played a pivotal role in a groundbreaking study that sheds light on the birth and evolution of planetary systems. Using the Submillimeter Array (SMA), an astronomer from the University of Hawaiʻi helped capture crystal-clear images of exocomet belts—regions around stars where icy and rocky objects called exocomets are found.
UH Mānoa sustains top-tier R&D rankings
The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa continues to solidify its status as a leading research institution, ranking No. 92 among the top 660 research universities in the US and No. 68 among the top 420 public universities.
