October 24, 2024
Astronomy Night with the SPLASH Team
Douglas Grion Filho (UC Santa Cruz), Lara Cullinane (AIP, Potsdam, Germany), 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 24, 2024
Liko Na Pilina: Tropical Rainforest Ecology
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, Hawai’i, employed 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 evaluated 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.
In this session, the team will highlight the lab work we do to monitor nutrient cycling in the plots. Leaves are sorted, weighed, and ground down to be sent to another lab for nutrient analysis. Additionally, crew members enter and analyze the data they took in the field, including data on tree growth, phenology, and person-hours spent weeding.
Although challenges remain, the Liko Nā Pilina hybrid ecosystem experiment provides evidence that new restoration approaches to carefully select species and assess ecosystem functioning can achieve management goals.
Oct 23, 2024
Indigenous Epistemology In a Naga Village
Makhel is a Naga village where the story of the origins of Indigenous lifeworlds is vibrant and alive. Spirits, rocks, water, and plants are considered as living witnesses of Indigenous Naga past, present, and future. In collaboration with Asufii Christian Institute (ACI, Mao, Manipur, NE India), anthropologist Dolly Kikon and geologist Neivikhotso Chaya conducted fieldwork involving faculty and students from ACI and nearby schools as well as the local community consisting of village elders and village organizations. As part of community engagement, there was an art exhibition and a community feast in Makhel.
Reflections from this fieldwork are part of Dolly and Neivikhotso’s ongoing research project titled Lithic Worlds, which centers on Indigenous ecologies and worldviews. The event from the summer of 2024 at Makhel village focused on pedagogy that centers the community in research and bridging indigenous knowledge with scientific knowledge in the academy.
October 17, 2024
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. Previously, J. D. shared how he performs follow-up observations of Near Earth Object candidates. He recently learned that he may have discovered a new asteroid!
In this session, J.D. will discuss how follow-up of potential new discoveries is performed and how one would learn if they have made a new discovery. He will then lead us through the process of observing asteroids using the Las Cumbres Observatory network of robotic telescopes.
October 13, 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, Gemini Observatory utilizes queue observing mode in which Gemini staff take observations on behalf of science teams from all over the world. On any night, 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 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.
Targets for this session could range from asteroids in our solar system, massive stars, and distant galaxies to supernovae and even gamma-ray bursts.
September 30, 2024
Astronomy Night with the SPLASH Team
Douglas Grion Filho (UC Santa Cruz), Lara Cullinane (AIP, Potsdam, Germany), 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 29, 2024
Astronomy Night with the SPLASH Team
Douglas Grion Filho (UC Santa Cruz), Lara Cullinane (AIP, Potsdam, Germany), 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 27, 2024
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. Previously, J. D. shared how he performs follow-up observations of Near Earth Object candidates. He recently learned that he may have discovered a new asteroid!
In this session, J.D. will discuss how follow-up of potential new discoveries is performed and how one would learn if they have made a new discovery. He will then lead us through the process of observing asteroids using the Las Cumbres Observatory network of robotic telescopes.
September 18, 2024
Exploring the Local Neighborhood 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, Gemini Observatory utilizes queue observing mode in which Gemini staff take observations on behalf of science teams from all over the world. On any night, 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 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.
Targets for this session could range from asteroids in our solar system, massive stars, and distant galaxies to supernovae and even gamma-ray bursts.
August 20, 2024
Observing the Sun with the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope
The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) is a four-meter solar telescope on the island of Maui, Hawai’i. It’s currently the largest solar telescope in the world.
With a focus on understanding the Sun’s explosive behavior, observations of magnetic fields are at the forefront of this innovative telescope. The Inouye Solar Telescope reveals features three times smaller than anything we can see on the Sun today and does so multiple times a second. Observing the specific fingerprints of hundreds of atoms and ions throughout the solar surface and atmosphere will help us explain the dynamic nature of the Sun’s behavior.
Participants will learn how professional physicists and astronomers assess weather conditions to determine which science objectives to target. Once the objective is identified, the scientists will zoom in on the Sun to find features to help unlock the mysteries hidden within its magnetic field. This magnetism is responsible for Space Weather events like sunspots and solar flares.
August 8, 2024
Monitoring Volcanic Eruptions in Hawai‘i
The Island of Hawai‘i is one of the most volcanically active places on Earth with its most recent eruption occurring on June 3, 2024. This eruption took place in the Southwest Rift Zone of Kīlauea, which had not erupted since 1974. There are a multitude of ways to monitor and research volcanic eruptions such as seismicity, petrology, gas emissions, and surface deformation.
In this session, a team from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory will demonstrate what a day in the life of a petrologist, a scientist who studies how rocks form, looks like using the 2024 eruption. They will take participants through the process of collecting samples in the field, processing them in the lab, and then preparing them for geochemical analyses.
This work offers a window into the magmatic plumbing system that is underlying Kīlauea and provides a better understanding of how and why volcanoes erupt.
August 2, 2024
Intro to the CHARA Array – Nighttime Operations
The flagship project of Georgia State University’s Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy (CHARA) is its optical interferometric array of six telescopes located on Mount Wilson, California.
Each telescope of the CHARA Array has a light-collecting mirror 1 meter in diameter. The telescopes are dispersed over the mountain to provide a two-dimensional layout that provides the resolving capability (but not the light-collecting ability) of a single telescope with a diameter of 330 meters or one-fifth of a mile!
The Array can resolve details as small as 200 micro-arcseconds, equivalent to the angular size of a nickel seen from a distance of 10,000 miles. In terms of the number and size of its individual telescopes, its ability to operate at visible and near-infrared wavelengths, and its longest baselines of 330 meters, the CHARA Array is arguably the most powerful instrument of its kind in the world.
This session features an engineering program that includes upgrades to the MIRC-X beam combiner. Attendees will get an introduction to the CHARA Array and astronomical interferometry as well as see live data collection from the 6×1 meter telescopes of the Array.
July 22, 2024
Exploring the Local Neighborhood 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.
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, 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!
The instruments available to the science team during this session include 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.
The observing team will also be joined by special guests from the Gemini North staff who will showcase the next exciting instrument that will be available to the Gemini North community: the second generation of the Immersion GRating INfrared Spectrograph (IGRINS-2). This session will include observations of stars in the local neighborhood, as well as other celestial bodies, that will test the scientific capability of the instrument for future studies.
July 15, 2024
Speckle Imaging with NESSI
Mark Everett will be observing at the WIYN 3.5-m telescope on Kitt Peak, Arizona, using the NESSI (The NN-EXPLORE Exoplanet Stellar Speckle Imager) instrument to acquire and gather data on stars.
Speckle imaging is a high-resolution astronomical imaging technique that uses very short exposure times to freeze out the effects of atmospheric turbulence. This effectively eliminates distortions caused by Earth’s atmosphere to enable angular resolutions equal to the theoretically best possible for a given telescope, thereby delivering space-based resolution from the ground.
The typical target for NESSI is a star for which astronomers want to distinguish between the possibility that it is a single or multiple star. After data analysis, speckle images can be used to measure the relative brightnesses and separation between pairs of stars that have been detected.
July 4, 2024
Observing Planet Formation in Action with the Keck Telescopes
We now know of more than 5000 exoplanets – planets that orbit stars other than our own Sun. Despite having a wealth of observations of mature (or fully-formed) planetary systems, we still have very few direct measurements of how planets form. Steph Sallum and colleagues will utilize the LRIS instrument on the Keck I telescope and the NIRSPEC instrument on the Keck II telescope to observe an actively-forming planetary mass object.
The science target, SR 12 C, is an object with a mass about ten times that of Jupiter, orbiting its (two!) suns at a distance almost 1000 times larger than our Earth-Sun distance. As a wide-orbit and high-mass planetary object, SR 12 C – still actively forming – can be considered a more easily observed analog for forming exoplanetary systems. The team will build context for future observations of forming exoplanets by studying how gas falls onto this object.
June 6, 2024
A Spectroscopic Study of Enigmatic Ultra Diffuse Galaxies in the Virgo Cluster
Raja GuhaThakurta (UC Santa Cruz), Eric Peng (NOIRLab), Elisa Toloba (Univ. of the Pacific), and 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.
May 27, 2024
Investigating the Collisional Outcomes of Asteroids in the Main Belt
Bryce Bolin (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center) will use the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) and the SpeX instrument to study the remnants of asteroid collisions in the Main Belt and determine their surface compositions.
These asteroids are located 100 million miles from the Earth and do not pose a threat, but hold clues to the origin of meteorites found on Earth. The asteroids that are being studied have surface properties similar to many meteorites that are found on Earth, therefore, studying them with IRTF will help us understand the origin of meteorites and how they are transported from the Main Belt to the Earth.
May 26, 2024
Investigating the Collisional Outcomes of Asteroids in the Main Belt
Bryce Bolin (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center) will use the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) and the SpeX instrument to study the remnants of asteroid collisions in the Main Belt and determine their surface compositions.
These asteroids are located 100 million miles from the Earth and do not pose a threat, but hold clues to the origin of meteorites found on Earth. The asteroids that are being studied have surface properties similar to many meteorites that are found on Earth, therefore, studying them with IRTF will help us understand the origin of meteorites and how they are transported from the Main Belt to the Earth.
May 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. On any given night, 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 the ALTtitude conjugate Adaptive optics for the InfraRed (ALTAIR) adaptive optics system, which reduces the blur due to turbulence in the atmosphere.
Targets for this session could range from asteroids in our solar system, massive stars, and distant galaxies to supernovae and even gamma-ray bursts.
May 10, 2024
Exposing Hidden Sources of Carbon in our Galaxy
Most of the carbon found in gemstones and in our DNA comes from carbon stars. Carbon stars were first identified as stars with intense red color. Once spectroscopy was added to the tool kit of astronomers, it was found that these deep red stars have anomalously strong molecular C2 absorption bands. It was later discovered that strong C2 bands could be found among stars that are not deep red in color, so the new definition of Carbon stars was changed to stars that exhibit C2 bands.
As models of stellar chemistry evolved, it was determined that the C2 bands only appear when the amount of carbon in the star’s atmosphere exceeds the amount of oxygen. So, the new-new definition of carbon stars is stars with more carbon than oxygen in their atmospheres. Astronomers have identified stars using this new-new definition in an infrared spectroscopic survey where carbon and oxygen abundances are determined without any C2 bands (which don’t appear in the infrared).
The team, led by the Deputy Director of the University of California Observatories, Matthew Shetrone, aims to determine if these newly identified infrared carbon stars show optical C2 bands that would have been identified in optical surveys. They will use Lick Observatory’s Shane 3-meter telescope and the Kast spectrograph to jump from star to star, taking short exposures to test if the results from the infrared agree with those from the optical. Along the way, they will discuss how these stars ended up with upside-down abundances of carbon and oxygen and why they are so crucial to the formation of life on Earth.
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!