Canada-France-Hawaiʻi Telescope remote observer next up at Hawaiʻi Keiki Museum podium

Hawaiʻi Keiki Museum’s Island Science Lecture Series continues this month with a presentation from one of the observatories atop the Big Island’s Mauna Kea.

The museum in Waikōloa is thrilled to welcome to the podium Canada-France-Hawaiʻi Telescope Remote Observer Jessica Nagasako, who will share some recent science updates from the observatory and answer the question, “How do we get that data?”

Nagasako is a graduate of McKinley High School in Honolulu and attended the annual Women’s STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) Aerospace Research Scholars Program — or STARS — hosted by Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems at University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo.

She was a sophomore in high school when she attended the summer program in 2018 on the Big Island. It was during a visit to the Mauna Kea summit that year when she caught a glimpse of the Milky Way and took a tour of Canada-France-Hawaiʻi Telescope.

The experience became a pivotal moment in Nagasako’s life — one that would shape her future for years to come, eventually bringing her back to Mauna Kea.

It was after attending the annual STEM Aerospace Research Scholars Program that she became more invested in exploring the sciences. Once she got to college, Nagasako was more than eager to do research.

She was an astro-seismology intern at University of Hawaiʻi Institute for Astronomy, testing detection limits of the All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae, eventually presenting her research in 2023 during the 241st meeting of American Astronomical Society in Seattle and American Physical Society’s 2023 Conferences for Undergraduate Women in Physics Conference at Cornell University in New York.

Nagasako went on to take an observational astronomy course while attending University of Rochester in Rochester, N.Y., during which she captured an image of the Flame Nebula, also known as NGC 2024, using the university’s C.E.K. Mees Observatory.

She graduated in spring 2024 from University of Rochester with a bachelor’s degree in physics and astronomy with a minor in philosophy of science.

Nagasako followed up receiving her degree by presenting physics research during the 243rd meeting of American Astronomical Society in New Orleans, American Physical Society’s March meeting in Minnesota and American Association of Physics Teachers Summer Meeting in Boston.

Her science journey then came full circle the summer of 2024 when she became remote observer at Canada-France-Hawaiʻi Telescope.

Her lecture is scheduled for 5 to 7 p.m. today, March 19, at the museum.

Agenda

• 5 p.m.: Doors open, networking, light pupu and refreshments
• 5:30 p.m.: Presentation followed by question-and-answer session
• 6:15 p.m.: Networking
• 7 p.m.: Pau

“Whether you’re a local resident or a curious traveler, these lectures are a gateway to discover the thriving ecosystems that call our island their home, and gain a deeper understanding of the delicate balance between nature and human impact,” said Hawai’i Keiki Museum in its announcement about this month’s lecture.

Admission is free; however, donations are welcome and encouraged.

Hawaiʻi Keiki Museum is located in K104 at 68-250 Waikōloa Beach Drive. Visit the museum website for additional information and discover more upcoming activities and events.