April 22, 2024
Exploring the Universe with the Gemini North Telescope
The observing team will be using the Gemini North telescope located near the summit of Maunakea on the island of Hawai`i, with the observations taking place remotely from the control room in the Hilo Base Facility.
As opposed to “classical” observing nights that have been featured in most of the previous StS sessions, Gemini Observatory utilizes queue observing mode in which Gemini staff take observations on behalf of science teams from all over the world. Gemini staff determine the conditions on the ground and in the sky and the scientific priorities and choose from a pool of scientific programs to observe. This means anything could be observed on any night!
The instruments available to the science team during this session include the the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph (GMOS), the Gemini Near InfraRed Spectrograph (GNIRS), and MAROON-X which is an instrument built by a team at the University of Chicago that is capable of detecting Earth-like planets in the habitable zone of low mass nearby stars. Observations in the infrared can be assisted by our ALTtitude conjugate Adaptive optics for the InfraRed (ALTAIR) adaptive optics system, which reduces the blur due to turbulence in the atmosphere. We will also be joined by two special guests from the Gemini North staff who will showcase the next exciting instrument that will be available to the Gemini North community early next year: the second generation of the Immersion GRating INfrared Spectrograph (IGRINS-2).
Targets for this session could range from asteroids in our solar system, massive stars, and distant galaxies to supernovae and even gamma-ray bursts.
April 11, 2024
A 3D Spectroscopic Study of Enigmatic Ultra Diffuse Galaxies in the Virgo Cluster
Raja GuhaThakurta (UC Santa Cruz), Eric Peng (NOIRLab), and Elisa Toloba (Univ. of the Pacific), members of the Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey (NGVS) research collaboration, will be using the Keck II 10-meter telescope and KCWI+KCRM instrument to study the stellar dynamics (motion of stars) and chemical composition of an unusual class of galaxies known as ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs) in the Virgo cluster of galaxies, located at a distance of about 50 million light years from us.
The defining characteristic of UDGs is that they have an unusually large physical size (radius) relative to other galaxies of comparable luminosity. They appear to be found preferentially in regions of high galaxy density such as galaxy clusters. The KCWI+KCRM instrument is a pair of integral field units (IFUs). IFUs allow astronomers to obtain three-dimensional data cubes – i.e., a 1D spectrum at each (x,y) or (RA, DEC) position in the sky.
April 10, 2024
A 3D Spectroscopic Study of Enigmatic Ultra Diffuse Galaxies in the Virgo Cluster
Raja GuhaThakurta (UC Santa Cruz), Eric Peng (NOIRLab), and Elisa Toloba (Univ. of the Pacific), members of the Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey (NGVS) research collaboration, will be using the Keck II 10-meter telescope and KCWI+KCRM instrument to study the stellar dynamics (motion of stars) and chemical composition of an unusual class of galaxies known as ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs) in the Virgo cluster of galaxies, located at a distance of about 50 million light years from us.
The defining characteristic of UDGs is that they have an unusually large physical size (radius) relative to other galaxies of comparable luminosity. They appear to be found preferentially in regions of high galaxy density such as galaxy clusters. The KCWI+KCRM instrument is a pair of integral field units (IFUs). IFUs allow astronomers to obtain three-dimensional data cubes – i.e., a 1D spectrum at each (x,y) or (RA, DEC) position in the sky.
April 3, 2024
Exploring Earth’s Paleoclimate with the Crew of the JOIDES Resolution
The JOIDES Resolution (JR) is a seagoing research vessel that drills core samples and collects measurements from under the ocean floor, providing scientists with a glimpse into Earth’s development. JOIDES is an acronym for the Joint Oceanographic Institutions for Deep Earth Sampling, which represents the original partnership of universities that sought to explore the geology beneath the ocean floor. Today, the ship is used by scientists at hundreds of universities worldwide.
Data from the JR’s ocean drilling offer a scientific means of understanding climate and environmental change throughout a significant part of our planet’s history—a research subject often termed Earth’s paleoclimate. The JR’s core samples are the “smoking gun” in evaluating many historical events related to paleoclimate, changes in the solid Earth, and more — like the extinction of the dinosaurs and plate tectonics, for example.
In this session, we will get a brief tour of the ship and meet some of the crew, followed by Q&A.
March 28, 2024
Hunting for Earth-like Planets with Gemini North and MAROON-X
The observing team will be using the Gemini North telescope located near the summit of Maunakea on the island of Hawai`i, with the observations taking place remotely from the control room in the Hilo Base Facility.
As opposed to “classical” observing nights that have been featured in most of the previous sessions, Gemini Observatory utilizes queue observing mode in which staff take observations on behalf of science teams from all over the world. The staff determine the conditions on the ground and in the sky, as well as the scientific priorities, and choose from a pool of scientific programs to observe. This means anything could be observed on any night!
Observations during this session will feature the MAROON-X instrument, an instrument built by a team at the University of Chicago, which is capable of detecting Earth-like planets in the habitable zone of low-mass nearby stars. In addition to observing alien worlds, the session may include observations with the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph (GMOS) and the Gemini Near InfraRed Spectrograph (GNIRS).
March 15, 2024
A 3D Spectroscopic Study of Enigmatic Ultra Diffuse Galaxies in the Virgo Cluster
Raja GuhaThakurta (UC Santa Cruz), Eric Peng (NOIRLab), and Elisa Toloba (Univ. of the Pacific), members of the Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey (NGVS) research collaboration, will be using the Keck II 10-meter telescope and KCWI+KCRM instrument to study the stellar dynamics (motion of stars) and chemical composition of an unusual class of galaxies known as ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs) in the Virgo cluster of galaxies, located at a distance of about 50 million light years from us.
The defining characteristic of UDGs is that they have an unusually large physical size (radius) relative to other galaxies of comparable luminosity. They appear to be found preferentially in regions of high galaxy density such as galaxy clusters. The Keck Cosmic Web Imager (KCWI) and Reionization Mapper instrument is a pair of integral field units (IFUs). IFUs allow astronomers to obtain three-dimensional data cubes – i.e., a 1D spectrum at each (x,y) or (RA, DEC) position in the sky.
March 14, 2024
A 3D Spectroscopic Study of Enigmatic Ultra Diffuse Galaxies in the Virgo Cluster
Raja GuhaThakurta (UC Santa Cruz), Eric Peng (NOIRLab), and Elisa Toloba (Univ. of the Pacific), members of the Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey (NGVS) research collaboration, will be using the Keck II 10-meter telescope and KCWI+KCRM instrument to study the stellar dynamics (motion of stars) and chemical composition of an unusual class of galaxies known as ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs) in the Virgo cluster of galaxies, located at a distance of about 50 million light years from us.
The defining characteristic of UDGs is that they have an unusually large physical size (radius) relative to other galaxies of comparable luminosity. They appear to be found preferentially in regions of high galaxy density such as galaxy clusters. The Keck Cosmic Web Imager (KCWI) and Reionization Mapper instrument is a pair of integral field units (IFUs). IFUs allow astronomers to obtain three-dimensional data cubes – i.e., a 1D spectrum at each (x,y) or (RA, DEC) position in the sky.
January 28, 2024
Exploring Earth’s Paleoclimate with the JOIDES Resolution
The JOIDES Resolution (JR) is a seagoing research vessel that drills core samples and collects measurements from under the ocean floor, providing scientists with a glimpse into Earth’s development. JOIDES is an acronym for the Joint Oceanographic Institutions for Deep Earth Sampling, which represents the original partnership of universities that sought to explore the geology beneath the ocean floor.
Today the ship is used by scientists at hundreds of universities around the world. Data from the JR’s ocean drilling offer a scientific means of understanding climate and environmental change throughout a significant part of our planet’s history—a research subject often termed Earth’s paleoclimate.
In this session, we will get a brief tour of the ship, meet some of the scientists on the crew, and discuss oceanography. Join us as we embark on a virtual cruise in search of Earth’s secrets with the JOIDES Resolution crew of Expedition 401!
January 27, 2024
Exploring Earth’s Paleoclimate with the JOIDES Resolution
The JOIDES Resolution (JR) is a seagoing research vessel that drills core samples and collects measurements from under the ocean floor, providing scientists with a glimpse into Earth’s development. JOIDES is an acronym for the Joint Oceanographic Institutions for Deep Earth Sampling, which represents the original partnership of universities that sought to explore the geology beneath the ocean floor.
Today the ship is used by scientists at hundreds of universities around the world. Data from the JR’s ocean drilling offer a scientific means of understanding climate and environmental change throughout a significant part of our planet’s history—a research subject often termed Earth’s paleoclimate.
In this session, we will get a brief tour of the ship, meet some of the scientists on the crew, and discuss oceanography. Join us as we embark on a virtual cruise in search of Earth’s secrets with the JOIDES Resolution crew of Expedition 401!
January 19, 2024
Exploring Earth’s Paleoclimate with the JOIDES Resolution
The JOIDES Resolution (JR) is a seagoing research vessel that drills core samples and collects measurements from under the ocean floor, providing scientists with a glimpse into Earth’s development. JOIDES is an acronym for the Joint Oceanographic Institutions for Deep Earth Sampling, which represents the original partnership of universities that sought to explore the geology beneath the ocean floor.
Today the ship is used by scientists at hundreds of universities around the world. Data from the JR’s ocean drilling offer a scientific means of understanding climate and environmental change throughout a significant part of our planet’s history—a research subject often termed Earth’s paleoclimate.
In this session, we will get a brief tour of the ship, meet some of the scientists on the crew, and discuss oceanography. Join us as we embark on a virtual cruise in search of Earth’s secrets with the JOIDES Resolution crew of Expedition 401!
January 14, 2024
Astronomy Night at the International Gemini Observatory
The international Gemini Observatory consists of twin 8.1-meter diameter optical/infrared telescopes located on mountains in Hawai`i (Maunakea) and Chile (Cerro Pachón), enabling the telescopes to collectively access the entire sky.
Gemini Observatory utilizes queue observing mode in which Gemini staff take observations on behalf of science teams from all over the world. They determine the conditions on the ground and in the sky, as well as the scientific priorities, and choose from a pool of scientific programs to observe.
The observing team will be using the Gemini North telescope located near the summit of Maunakea on the island of Hawai`i, with the observations taking place remotely from the control room in the Hilo Base Facility.
Observing targets for this session could range from asteroids in our solar system, massive stars, and distant galaxies, to supernovae, and even gamma-ray bursts.
Come along for this cosmic adventure as we explore the universe and share its wonders!
December 23, 2023
Hunting Giants at the Edge of the Universe
Astronomy night with Dr. Brian Lemaux (Gemini-N/NOIRLab), Dr. Roy Gal (Institute for Astronomy, UH), Dr. Ben Forrest (University of California, Davis), Dr. Ekta Shah (University of California, Davis) and graduate student Priti Staab (University of California, Davis). The team will be looking at a part of the sky called COSMOS, made famous by being the subject of one of the largest mosaics of images ever recorded by the Hubble Space Telescope.
In these observations, the astronomers will be using the Multi-Object Spectrometer For InfraRed Exploration (MOSFIRE) on the W. M. Keck Observatory to target several suspected large structures of matter under formation when the universe was only 15% of its current age.
December 18, 2023
New Strategies for Restoration in Lowland Wet Forests in Hawaiʻi
The tropical rainforests in Hawaiʻi are in trouble, dwindling due to development and highly invasive plant and animal species. The Liko Nā Pilina hybrid ecosystem experiment in Hilo, Hawaii, USA employs a new strategy–functional trait theory to test the use of native and introduced species–to meet the objectives of increased carbon storage, native biodiversity regeneration, and invasion resistance.
The researchers evaluate community-level outcomes related to nutrient cycling: carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus via litterfall, litter decomposition, outplant productivity, rates of invasion, and leaf litter arthropod species composition. Although challenges remain, there is evidence that new restoration approaches to carefully select species and assess ecosystem functioning can achieve management goals.
In this session, the team will highlight the rare lowland wet forest habitat type, show the experimental plots, the growing of plants in the greenhouse, and field collection in action.
December 11, 2023
Hunting for Earth-like Planets with Gemini North and MAROON-X
The observing team will be using the Gemini North telescope located near the summit of Maunakea on the island of Hawai’i.
As opposed to “classical” observing nights that have been featured in most of the previous StS sessions, Gemini Observatory utilizes queue observing mode in which Gemini staff take observations on behalf of science teams from all over the world. On any given night, Gemini staff determine the conditions on the ground and in the sky, as well as the scientific priorities, and choose from a pool of scientific programs to observe. This means anything could be observed on any night!
We will be joined by Dr. Steve Howell, head of the NASA speckle team. This team maintains and operates two of Gemini Observatory’s visiting instruments, `Alopeke and Zorro. These identical instruments, one at Gemini North and the other at Gemini South, enable astronomers to search for close companions to astronomical objects, primarily nearby stars, using a technique known as speckle imaging. Dr. Howell will share his knowledge of speckle imaging and how the speckle team uses this technique to further our understanding of exoplanets and other astronomical topics.
Observations during this session will feature the MAROON-X instrument, an instrument built by a team at the University of Chicago, which is capable of detecting Earth-like planets in the habitable zone of low-mass nearby stars. In addition, the session may include observations with the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph (GMOS) and the Gemini Near InfraRed Spectrograph (GNIRS).
December 9, 2023
Hunting for Earth-like Planets with Gemini North and MAROON-X
The observing team will be using the Gemini North telescope located near the summit of Maunakea on the island of Hawai`i, with the observations taking place remotely from the control room in the Hilo Base Facility.
As opposed to “classical” observing nights that have been featured in most of the previous sessions, Gemini Observatory utilizes queue observing mode in which Gemini staff take observations on behalf of science teams from all over the world. On any given night, Gemini staff determine the conditions on the ground and in the sky, as well as the scientific priorities, and choose from a pool of scientific programs to observe. This means anything could be observed on any night!
Observations during this session will feature the MAROON-X instrument, an instrument built by a team at the University of Chicago, which is capable of detecting Earth-like planets in the habitable zone of low-mass nearby stars. While observing alien worlds, the University of Chicago MAROON-X team will join us in the session to share their vision with us and explain how the instrument works. In addition, the session may include observations with the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph (GMOS) and the Gemini Near InfraRed Spectrograph (GNIRS).
Nov 12, 2023
Variable Stars and Transients In The Andromeda Galaxy
The SALVATION team, which is comprised of astronomers from NOIRLab, SFSU, UCSC, and Willamette U, will use the Kast Double Spectrograph on Lick Observatory’s Shane 3-meter telescope to obtain spectra of variable stars and transients in the Andromeda galaxy (M31) located about 2.5 million light years from Earth as well as other nearby galaxies.
These variable stars and transients will be selected from the Zwicky Transient Factory (ZTF) stream of alerts. The collected spectra will be used to better understand the detailed astrophysical processes associated with stars that undergo periodic pulsations and stars that undergo stochastic outbursts due to mass transfer from a companion.
Nov 11, 2023
Variable Stars and Transients in the Andromeda Galaxy
The SALVATION team, which is comprised of astronomers from NOIRLab, SFSU, UCSC, and Willamette U, will use the Kast Double Spectrograph on Lick Observatory’s Shane 3-meter telescope to obtain spectra of variable stars and transients in the Andromeda galaxy (M31) located about 2.5 million light years from Earth as well as other nearby galaxies.
These variable stars and transients will be selected from the Zwicky Transient Factory (ZTF) stream of alerts. The collected spectra will be used to better understand the detailed astrophysical processes associated with stars that undergo periodic pulsations and stars that undergo stochastic outbursts due to mass transfer from a companion.
November 9, 2023
Three of the Milky Way’s Enigmatic Satellites
Just as the Earth has satellites — such as the moon and artificial satellites — the Milky Way also has satellites. Some of these satellites are small galaxies, which have plenty of stars and dark matter. Other satellites are star clusters, which lack dark matter. Three satellites with ambiguous identifications are Boötes III, Draco II, and Sagittarius II. One way to identify them conclusively as star clusters is to measure the amounts of carbon and magnesium in their stars. We will use the DEIMOS spectrograph on the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawai’i to do just that!
November 4, 2023
Breaking Barriers in STEM:
Bridging the Gap with Cloud Powered Stem Cell Research
Worldwide, disparities in access to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) training and research opportunities contribute to a lack of diversity within the STEM community. To address this challenge, cloud technologies offer a solution by enabling cost-effective experiment scalability.
At the University of California Santa Cruz Genomics Institute, the team in the Live Cell Biotechnology Discovery Lab utilizes these cloud technologies to monitor the differentiation of stem cells into neurons, providing students with in-house access to the experiment. During this session, in partnership with Berkeley City College students, we will examine the effects of a natural extract on neurons derived from mice embryonic stem cells monitoring live changes in morphology.
October 15, 2023
Astronomy Night with the SALVATION Team
The SALVATION Team, which is comprised of astronomers from NOIRLab, SFSU, UCSC, and Willamette University, will use the Kast double spectrograph on Lick Observatory’s Shane 3-meter telescope to obtain spectra of variable stars and transients in the Andromeda galaxy (M31) located about 2.5 million light years from us and other nearby galaxies.
These variable stars and transients will be selected from the Zwicky Transient Factory (ZTF) stream of alerts. The collected spectra will be used to better understand the detailed astrophysical processes associated with stars that undergo periodic pulsations and stars that undergo stochastic outbursts due to mass transfer from a companion.
October 14, 2023:
Astronomy Night with the SALVATION Team
The SALVATION Team, which is comprised of astronomers from NOIRLab, SFSU, UCSC, and Willamette University, will use the Kast double spectrograph on Lick Observatory’s Shane 3-meter telescope to obtain spectra of variable stars and transients in the Andromeda galaxy (M31) located about 2.5 million light years from us and other nearby galaxies.
These variable stars and transients will be selected from the Zwicky Transient Factory (ZTF) stream of alerts. The collected spectra will be used to better understand the detailed astrophysical processes associated with stars that undergo periodic pulsations and stars that undergo stochastic outbursts due to mass transfer from a companion.
October 10, 2023
Astronomy Night with Margaret Lazzarini
The observing team, composed of astronomers from Cal State Los Angeles, Caltech, UC Santa Cruz, and the University of Washington, will use the DEIMOS spectrograph on the Keck II 10-meter telescope located on Maunakea in Hawai’i. Their goal is to study massive stars in binary systems with black holes and neutron stars in the nearby spiral galaxy Triangulum (M33).
These binary systems are called X-ray binaries because the black hole or neutron star emits bright light at X-ray energies as it accretes material from its high-mass companion star. The goal of these observations is to look for time variability in the spectra of the companion stars so that we can learn more about the orbits and astrophysical objects in these interesting binary systems.
October 9, 2023
Astronomy Night with the SPLASH Team
Lara Cullinane (Johns Hopkins University), Raja GuhaThakurta (UC Santa Cruz), and their collaborators on the SPLASH (Spectroscopic and Photometric Landscape of Andromeda’s Stellar Halo) research project will use the Keck II 10-meter telescope and DEIMOS spectrograph on Maunakea on the Big Island of Hawai’i to study the kinematics (motion) and chemical composition of the resolved stellar populations in the southern disk of the Andromeda galaxy (M31) and its enigmatic compact elliptical galaxy companion (M32). This promises to be the most detailed study to date of these two galaxies.
October 8, 2023
Astronomy Night with the SPLASH Team
Lara Cullinane (Johns Hopkins University), Raja GuhaThakurta (UC Santa Cruz), and their collaborators on the SPLASH (Spectroscopic and Photometric Landscape of Andromeda’s Stellar Halo) research project will use the Keck II 10-meter telescope and DEIMOS spectrograph on Maunakea on the Big Island of Hawai’i to study the kinematics (motion) and chemical composition of the resolved stellar populations in the southern disk of the Andromeda galaxy (M31) and its enigmatic compact elliptical galaxy companion (M32). This promises to be the most detailed study to date of these two galaxies.
October 7, 2023
Astronomy Night with the SPLASH Team
Lara Cullinane (Johns Hopkins University), Raja GuhaThakurta (UC Santa Cruz), and their collaborators on the SPLASH (Spectroscopic and Photometric Landscape of Andromeda’s Stellar Halo) research project will use the Keck II 10-meter telescope and DEIMOS spectrograph on Maunakea on the Big Island of Hawai’i to study the kinematics (motion) and chemical composition of the resolved stellar populations in the southern disk of the Andromeda galaxy (M31) and its enigmatic compact elliptical galaxy companion (M32). This promises to be the most detailed study to date of these two galaxies.
October 6, 2023
Astronomy Night with the SPLASH Team
Lara Cullinane (Johns Hopkins University), Raja GuhaThakurta (UC Santa Cruz), and their collaborators on the SPLASH (Spectroscopic and Photometric Landscape of Andromeda’s Stellar Halo) research project will use the Keck II 10-meter telescope and DEIMOS spectrograph on Maunakea on the Big Island of Hawai’i to study the kinematics (motion) and chemical composition of the resolved stellar populations in the southern disk of the Andromeda galaxy (M31) and its enigmatic compact elliptical galaxy companion (M32). This promises to be the most detailed study to date of these two galaxies.
September 28, 2023
Chasing Asteroids with J. D. Armstrong
Scientists believe that an asteroid caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. While you shouldn’t lose any sleep over it tonight, the threat of asteroid impacts is real. 48.5 tons of material fall on the earth every day. Most of it is small stuff, but we don’t want to be hit by something big.
The first step in protecting ourselves from this risk is to find the asteroids that might hit us. Survey telescopes look for these objects. When they are found, other astronomers observe them in order to better calculate their orbits. In this session, we “shadow” J. D. Armstrong of the University of Hawai’i Institute for Astronomy as he is in the process of tracking newly discovered asteroids using the robotic telescopes of Las Cumbres Observatory.
September 18, 2023
Astronomy Night with the SALVATION Team
The SALVATION Team, which is comprised of astronomers from NOIRLab, SFSU, UCSC, and Willamette University, will use the Kast double spectrograph on Lick Observatory’s Shane 3-meter telescope to obtain spectra of variable stars and transients in the Andromeda galaxy (M31) located about 2.5 million light years from us and other nearby galaxies.
These variable stars and transients will be selected from the Zwicky Transient Factory (ZTF) stream of alerts. The collected spectra will be used to better understand the detailed astrophysical processes associated with stars that undergo periodic pulsations and stars that undergo stochastic outbursts due to mass transfer from a companion.
September 17, 2023
Astronomy Night with the SALVATION Team
The SALVATION Team, which is comprised of astronomers from NOIRLab, SFSU, UCSC, and Willamette University, will use the Kast double spectrograph on Lick Observatory’s Shane 3-meter telescope to obtain spectra of variable stars and transients in the Andromeda galaxy (M31) located about 2.5 million light years from us and other nearby galaxies.
These variable stars and transients will be selected from the Zwicky Transient Factory (ZTF) stream of alerts. The collected spectra will be used to better understand the detailed astrophysical processes associated with stars that undergo periodic pulsations and stars that undergo stochastic outbursts due to mass transfer from a companion.
September 16, 2023
Astronomy Night with the SALVATION Team
The SALVATION Team, which is comprised of astronomers from NOIRLab, SFSU, UCSC, and Willamette University, will use the Kast double spectrograph on Lick Observatory’s Shane 3-meter telescope to obtain spectra of variable stars and transients in the Andromeda galaxy (M31) located about 2.5 million light years from us and other nearby galaxies.
These variable stars and transients will be selected from the Zwicky Transient Factory (ZTF) stream of alerts. The collected spectra will be used to better understand the detailed astrophysical processes associated with stars that undergo periodic pulsations and stars that undergo stochastic outbursts due to mass transfer from a companion.
September 15, 2023
Fossil Collecting with Andromeda Globular Clusters
Globular clusters are groups of old stars that are tightly bound together by gravity and can contain anywhere from thousands to millions of stars. The team will utilize the HIRES instrument at the W. M. Keck Observatory to conduct observations of these stellar groups in the Andromeda Galaxy.
Using the HIRES spectra, the researchers will determine the detailed composition of the globular clusters and if they were part of a small galaxy devoured by Andromeda. Also known as M31, the Andromeda Galaxy is located approximately 2.5 billion light-years from Earth and is the closest large galactic neighbor to the Milky Way.
Sept 15, 2023
Astronomy Night with Dr. John O’Meara
John O’Meara is the Deputy Director and Chief Scientist of the W. M. Keck Observatory. In this “shadow” session, the team is using the newly upgraded Keck Cosmic Web Imager (KCWI) to understand the circumgalactic medium (CGM): the region of gas surrounding galaxies that acts as a gas can, fuel dump and recycling center for the galaxies it surrounds.
April 19, 2023
Ultra Compact Dwarf (UCD) Galaxies
Kaixiang Wang (Peking University), Eric Peng (NOIRLab), Raja GuhaThakurta (UC Santa Cruz), and their collaborators on the Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey (NGVS) team will use the Keck II 10-meter telescope and Echelle Spectrograph and Imager (ESI) instrument on the summit of Maunakea on the Big Island of Hawai’i.
The team will study an unusual class of galaxies, ultra compact dwarf (UCD) galaxies, in the Virgo cluster of galaxies. The Virgo cluster, the nearest large collection of galaxies, is located at a distance of 50 million light years from us.
April 18, 2023
Ultra Compact Dwarf (UCD) Galaxies
Kaixiang Wang (Peking University), Eric Peng (NOIRLab), Raja GuhaThakurta (UC Santa Cruz), and their collaborators on the Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey (NGVS) team will use the Keck II 10-meter telescope and Echelle Spectrograph and Imager (ESI) instrument on the summit of Maunakea on the Big Island of Hawai’i.
The team will study an unusual class of galaxies, ultra compact dwarf (UCD) galaxies, in the Virgo cluster of galaxies. The Virgo cluster, the nearest large collection of galaxies, is located at a distance of 50 million light years from us.
April 16, 2023
Dwarf Elliptical (dE) Galaxies
Joel Roediger (Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Centre), Elisa Toloba (University of the Pacific), Eric Peng (NOIRLab), Raja GuhaThakurta (UC Santa Cruz), and their collaborators on the Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey (NGVS) team will use the Keck II 10-meter telescope and Echelle Spectrograph and Imager (ESI) instrument on the summit of Maunakea on the Big Island of Hawai’i.
The team will study a class of low-mass galaxies, dwarf elliptical (dE) galaxies, in the Virgo cluster of galaxies. The Virgo cluster, the nearest large collection of galaxies, is located at a distance of 50 million light years from us.
April 15, 2023
Dwarf Elliptical (dE) Galaxies
Joel Roediger (Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Centre), Elisa Toloba (University of the Pacific), Eric Peng (NOIRLab), Raja GuhaThakurta (UC Santa Cruz), and their collaborators on the Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey (NGVS) team will use the Keck II 10-meter telescope and Echelle Spectrograph and Imager (ESI) instrument on the summit of Maunakea on the Big Island of Hawai’i.
The team will study a class of low-mass galaxies, dwarf elliptical (dE) galaxies, in the Virgo cluster of galaxies. The Virgo cluster, the nearest large collection of galaxies, is located at a distance of 50 million light years from us.
March 29, 2023
Galaxies and Large Structures of Matter
In this special Shadow the Scientists session you will join Dr. Brian Lemaux (Gemini-N/NOIRLab), Dr. Lu Shen (Texas A&M University), Dr. Roy Gal (Institute for Astronomy, UH), Dr. Ben Forrest (University of California, Davis), Dr. Ekta Shah (University of California, Davis) and graduate student Priti Staab (University of California, Davis) as they simultaneously use *two* telescopes at the top of Maunakea on the Big Island of Hawai’i. The team will be looking at a part of the sky called COSMOS, made famous by being the subject of one of the largest mosaic of images ever recorded by the Hubble Space Telescope.
In these observations, the team will be using the Multi-Object InfraRed Camera and Spectrograph (MOIRCS) on the Subaru Telescope and the Multi-Object Spectrometer For InfraRed Exploration (MOSFIRE) on the W.M. Keck Observatory to target several suspected large structures of matter under formation when the universe was about 10%–20% of its current age.
March 26, 2023
Dwarf elliptical (dE) galaxies
Joel Roediger (Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Centre), Elisa Toloba (University of the Pacific), Eric Peng (NOIRLab), Raja GuhaThakurta (UC Santa Cruz), and their collaborators on the Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey (NGVS) team will use the Keck II 10-meter telescope and Echelle Spectrograph and Imager (ESI) instrument on the summit of Maunakea on the Big Island of Hawai’i.
The team will study a class of low-mass galaxies, dwarf elliptical (dE) galaxies, in the Virgo cluster of galaxies. The Virgo cluster, the nearest large collection of galaxies, is located at a distance of 50 million light years from us.
March 10, 2023
Observing Large Structures of Matter
Astronomy Night with Dr. Brian Lemaux (Gemini-N/NOIRLab), Dr. Lu Shen (Texas A&M University), Dr. Roy Gal (Institute for Astronomy, UH), Dr. Ben Forrest (University of California, Davis), Dr. Ekta Shah (University of California, Davis) and graduate student Priti Staab (University of California, Davis).
In these observations, the team will be using the Multi-Object InfraRed Camera and Spectrograph (MOIRCS) on the Subaru telescope located on Maunakea to target several suspected large structures of matter under formation when the universe was about 10%–20% of its current age. The presence of these structures was first hinted at by the Lyα Tomography IMACS Survey (LATIS), which detected large reservoirs of cool Hydrogen gas that indicated several massive structures that had not previously been seen.
February 18, 2023
Ultra Compact Dwarf (UCD) Galaxies
Kaixiang Wang (Peking University), Eric Peng (NOIRLab), Raja GuhaThakurta (UC Santa Cruz) and their collaborators on the Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey (NGVS) team will use the Keck II 10-meter telescope and Echelle Spectrograph and Imager (ESI) instrument on the summit of Maunakea on the Big Island of Hawai’i to study an unusual class of galaxies, ultra compact dwarf (UCD) galaxies, in the Virgo cluster of galaxies.
The Virgo cluster, the nearest large collection of galaxies, is located at a distance of 50 million light years from us.