‘Imiloa Maunakea Skies Talk to Explore the Threat of Near-Earth Objects

‘Imiloa’s next Maunakea Skies talk will feature a talk about the potentially disastrous effects of Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) by Dr. Richard Wainscoat, astronomer at the University of Hawai‘i, Mānoa. The presentation will be held on Friday, Apr. 20, at 7 p.m.

Dr. Wainscoat will share the ongoing studies being conducted by astronomers across the world to identify potentially hazardous objects that could impact Earth in the next 100 years. These include recent discoveries and insights from Hawai‘i observatories such as the “Halloween Asteroid,” which came close to Earth on Oct. 31, 2015, and `Oumuamua, the first interstellar object ever observed in October 2017.

Dr. Wainscoat is originally from Australia and earned his PhD in Astronomy from the Australian National University. He moved to Hawai‘i after working at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California for three years, and now leads the search for Near-Earth Objects with the Pan-STARRS telescopes at the University of Hawai‘i, Mānoa.

General admission tickets for the Maunakea Skies talk are $10, $8 for ‘Imiloa members (member level discounts apply). Tickets are available for purchase at ‘Imiloa’s front desk or by phone at (808) 932-8901.

The monthly ‘Imiloa Maunakea Skies program includes observational highlights of the current night sky over Hawai‘i, identifying prominent constellations and stars visible during the present time of year. Maunakea Skies planetarium presentations are held on the third Friday of each month.