‘Imiloa Maunakea Skies Talk to Feature NASA’s Dawn Mission

NASA’s Dawn Spacecraft is on a mission to study Vesta and Ceres, the two largest members of the asteroid belt. These diverse asteroids offer crucial scientific clues into the birth of our Solar System some 4.6 billion years ago.

‘Imiloa Astronomy Center’s next Maunakea Skies talk will provide exciting details into this mission of continuing discovery on Friday, Jan. 19, at 7 p.m. with Dr. Schelte “Bobby” Bus, Deputy Director at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) on Maunakea.

Dr. Bus will share highlights of the mission—which after more than 10 year is nearing its end—to study the massive asteroids. He will also discuss the ground-based observations of the distant pair of asteroids at facilities like NASA’s ITRF on Maunakea, which have helped enhance scientific research for the Dawn Mission.

Dr. Bus has a doctorate in planetary science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and has worked with the University of Hawai‘i’s Institute for Astronomy as a staff astronomer for NASA IRTF since 2000. He became Deputy Director of NASA IRTF in 2017. His research focuses on the physical properties of asteroids and how processes such as collisions alter the asteroid belt, helping to feed material like meteoroids and Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs) into near-Earth space.

Hosted by planetarium technician Emily Peavy, ‘Imiloa’s monthly Maunakea Skies program also includes observational highlights of the current night sky over Hawai‘i, identifying prominent constellations and visible stars.

Maunakea Skies planetarium presentations are held on the third Friday of each month. General admission tickets are $10, and $8 for ‘Imiloa members (member level discounts apply). Pre-purchase tickets at ‘Imiloa’s front desk or by phone at (808) 932-8901.