Astronomy

The winter storm that blew through the state at the end of the week fortunately didn’t blow away or wash out any of the multitude of events happening around the island, some of which are going on right now!

Called the Prime Focus Spectrograph, it features about 2,400 prisms scattered across the extremely wide field of view available at the Subaru Telescope’s primary focus, allowing for simultaneous spectroscopic observation and dramatically enhancing its efficiency.

As another year comes to a close, revelry and talk of auld lang syne will abound — reminiscing about times long past for old times’ sake. But no matter what you do to celebrate this New Year’s, be safe, be responsible and do it together.

Earth and its constant cosmic companion have their final closest encounter of the year tonight. Moonrise is between 5;40 and 5:43 p.m. today, depending on where you are on the Big Island, but the moon will still look full through Sunday morning in case you miss it.

“This black hole is having a feast,” said astronomer Julia Scharwächter.

Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, may offer new insights into planetary atmospheres, climates, and even the potential for life beyond Earth.

There are plenty of other events and activities happening around the Big Island that can keep you and the family busy. Check out out top 10 things to do on the Big Island now!

Many across social media platforms posted their photos from the cosmic alignment that placed the moon between the sun and Earth, including Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.

Second partial solar eclipse of the year visible from the islands will already be underway as the sun rises. Get a great picture from the solar showcase and send it to Big Island Now to have it included in a community photo gallery.

The jet megastructure dates to a time when our universe was 6.3 billion years old, or less than half its present age of 13.8 billion years.

The annual event encourages moon enthusiasts and curious people around the globe to come together and learn about lunar science and exploration, take part in celestial observations and honor cultural and personal connections to Earth’s constant companion.

Survey observations using the Subaru Telescope’s ultra-widefield prime focus camera have revealed that there may be a population of small bodies further out in the Kuiper Belt waiting to be discovered.

The sunset summit proposal was recorded by the unmanned observatory’s front door camera at about 6:30 p.m. Aug. 13. The whole engagement event took about a minute or so, and at the end, the future groom stood up, the couple hugged and then kissed.

Moonrise is at 7:10 p.m. today, so find a good spot to observe this extra special lunar event. After all, how often do we have this good of weather in East Hawai‘i to see the sky from sea level? The moon will be in the full phase for about 3 days, however, so if you miss tonight’s super action, you do have a little more time.

Findings suggest that powerful radiation —  some12 times stronger than previously thought — could seriously impact a planet’s ability to sustain life.

The telescope funding comes from the NASA Near-Earth Object Observations Program.

The additional jewel in the Northern Crown constellation isn’t actually a star. It’s the light from an astronomical thermonuclear explosion caused by the buildup of pressure and heat in the binary system T Coronae Borealis, also dubbed the “Blaze Star,” 3,000 light-years away from Earth.

The authors found that symptoms appear greater among marginalized groups, such as women, people of color and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, plus community.

The student-led mission aims to study solar energetic particle events and increase knowledge of the Sun.

The artificial star satellite is expected to help answer questions surrounding the speed and acceleration of the universe’s expansion.