Current Events
Hōkūle‘a Celebration and Education Expo (Hilo 4/21/18)
Hōkūle‘a Celebration and Educational Expo on April 21st on Bay Front.
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Nā Kilo Event at Palekai is on for Oct. 21!
Nā Kilo is our cultural science event to get students of all ages interested and excited about science, technology, engineering and math (STEM fields). Hawaii has many activities going on all around the island which lead the world in many areas. This event is a chance for those people who are involved in leading such endeavors to show the public the kind of science they are doing right here in Hawaii. We invite people, groups and companies from all over the island to join us. So if you’re interested in participating, please contact us either through this site or on facebook or twitter. The term Nā Kilo represents those who understand a certain field or trade to its fullest and most importantly expresses the ability to observe and to explore. Nā Kilo can represent the master as well as their learners in any given discipline. Perhaps you’ve not thought about all the STEM activities that take place in Hawaii but here are just a few we would like to highlight. ... read more
PUEO’s List of Exceptions to the TMT Project
PUEO files official recommendations to the contested case for the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope.
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Stop Addressing Science and Culture as if They Are Separate Concepts
By Keahi Warfield, President of Perpetuating Unique Educational Opportunities, Inc. (PUEO) and Richard Ha, PUEO Board Member (orginally published in Star-Advertiser under title “Mauna Kea’s Future” June 28, 2017 with additions from Dan Ahuna) We were all so moved to watch the Polynesian Voyaging Society canoe Hōkūle‘a sail home from its amazing, three-year, educational Mālama Honua trip around the world. But that’s not the end, not of their journeys nor of other explorations and discoveries. There is so much more to learn, including from atop Maunakea, above the cloud line, where everything down below – Hilo, Kona, Waimea – falls away and you can peer into the universe. The telescopes are of great value. Through them, we look back in time just as the Kumulipo (Hawaiian creation chant) takes us back to darkness. Instead of the telescopes being Maunakea’s focal point, though, let’s create a cultural center there above the clouds – a center truly devoted to Hawaiians and our culture, one with Hawaiian architecture, values and tradition built into the design by cultural practitioners. It will honor the vastness of the Hawaiian culture in a way we aren’t currently doing. Hawai‘i County Mayor Harry Kim calls this idea of a “World Park” upon Maunakea a “living museum of the people of the First Nation of Hawai‘i” and “an opportunity for Hawai‘i to be the center of discovery of mankind and of the universe.” Governor David Ige also supports this idea. The number of visitors to Maunakea keeps increasing each year, and by not providing a place that truly respects and shares our indigenous knowledge to educate, we are... read more
Making Progress at Palekai
Last Saturday we had another work day down at Palekai. The Hokualaka‘i’s mast got a good sanding and a coat of sealer. The paddling canoes got some needed attention and some new storage racks were setup in the container. It was also a good chance to see the Hikianalia, the sister ship to the Hokulea. They were moored in Palekai to pick up previsions and ready the crew for a 2600 mile journey to Tahiti to take some repair supplies to Hokulea before they make their last leg back home completing their world circumnavigation in Hawaii. They were happy to give short tours of the canoe as they made preparations to depart on the 26th. You can follow their journey here: http://www.hokulea.com/vessels/hikianalia/ Having the Hikianalia in the bay inspired all of us to keep working on the Hokualaka‘i’ and get her back in the water this year! ... read moreNews From The Mountain
Hikianalia and Hokulea Arrived In Tahiti and Coming Home Soon!
The Hikianalia departed Hilo March 26th (shown in photo) with one of PUEO’s founders and Keaukaha Community leader Uncle Pat Kahawaiola’a blessing their departure. Their goal was to meet up with Hōkūleʻa and bring them some materials for repairs before they had back to Hawaii. They arrived safely in Tahiti following the stars and waves to join up with Hōkūleʻa on their round the world trip to bring them some repair materials and accompany them on the final legs of the voyage back home. After sailing about 100 miles from Papeete, Tahiti, the canoes arrived at Taputapuatea on the morning of April 25, 2017 following the historic protocol of entering via the sacred pass of Teava Moa. You can follow Hikianalia’s activities here: http://www.hokulea.com/crew-blog-kalepa-baybayan-follow-wind/ and Hokulea’s here http://www.hokulea.com/blog/ The should be back in Hawaii in June!... read more
Mars Simulation Ends after 1 Year on Mauna Loa
By TOM CALLIS Hawaii Tribune-Herald Six scientists will become the first to complete a yearlong Mars simulation in the United States when they exit a small dome Aug. 28 on Mauna Loa. For nearly 365 days, the crew has seen the outside world only through a small porthole or through the lens of their spacesuits, which they must wear to venture outside. At 8,200 feet above sea level, the landscape mimics Martian soil somewhat, with hardly any vegetation to be found. “They’re doing OK as far as we can tell,” said Kim Binsted, principal investigator for the Hawai‘i Space Exploration Analog and Simulation. The University of Hawaii runs the NASA-funded study. Three other simulations have been held in the dome, located in a former quarry, for four- and eight-month durations. Each scientist works on research projects during their stay and learns how to manage limited resources while avoiding personal conflicts in isolation. Any communication with the outside world is put on a 20-minute delay, the length of time it would take to relay messages to and from the red planet. Binsted said the only longer simulation held was a 520-day mission in Russia that mimicked a trip to Mars. HI-SEAS is more focused on what a crew will do once they get there. The crew will be provided fresh fruit and other food not available during the simulation after they leave the dome. “They are clamoring to get into the ocean,” Binsted said. “I think they will enjoy having a beer as well.” Binsted said HI-SEAS will host two more eight-month simulations, with the next one starting in January.... read more
Maunakea Skies: Future of UH Hilo Astronomy Program Talk Aug 19th
[source] University of Hawai‘i at Hilo astronomy majors will receive more hands-on telescope time than ever before as the result of a recent agreement between the Institute for Astronomy at UH Mānoa and the Department of Physics and Astronomy at UH Hilo. These students have a unique opportunity afforded to few other programs in the country—the opportunity to study the universe in the world’s largest observatories for optical, infrared and submillimeter astronomy on the 13,000-foot-high summit of Maunakea. Dr. Marianne Takamiya, associate professor of astronomy and chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at UH Hilo will present an update on these and other developments in UH Hilo’s astronomy program at ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center’s Maunakea Skies talk on Aug. 19 at 7 p.m. ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center photo. “I will present the latest results of the research of faculty and students in astronomy, how our academic program has developed in the last five years and what we envision for the future,” stated Takamiya. “UH Hilo has unique elements that can make ours a novel astronomy program that produces not only astronomers, but also skilled professionals who are able to work in complex systems.” ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center photo. Takamiya, who is an expert in physical properties of material between stars in distant galaxies, has presented throughout the US, Chile, Japan, South Africa and Europe on research she has accomplished using the Maunakea telescopes while heavily involving undergraduate students. Takamiya is a graduate of Universidad de Chile and the University of Chicago, where she received her doctoral degree in astronomy and astrophysics. She was one of the first Gemini Science Fellows at Gemini North during... read more
Gemini Telescope finds Jupiter Moon Io’s Atmosphere Collapses and Reforms
Gemini observations show that the thin atmosphere of Jupiter’s moon Io undergoes dramatic changes during frequent eclipses with the giant planet. The following press release, issued by the Southwest Research Institute, explains how the dramatic changes in temperature cause the moon’s atmosphere to collapse. Research reveals freezing effects of Jupiter’s shadow on moon’s volcanic gases San Antonio – Aug. 2, 2016 – A Southwest Research Institute-led team has documented atmospheric changes on Io, Jupiter’s volcanically active satellite, as the giant planet casts its shadow over the moon’s surface during daily eclipses. A study led by SwRI’s Constantine Tsang concluded that Io’s thin atmosphere, which consists primarily of sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas emitted from volcanoes, collapses as the SO2 freezes onto the surface as ice when Io is shaded by Jupiter. When the moon moves out of eclipse and ice warms, the atmosphere reforms through sublimation, where ice converts directly to gas. “This research is the first time scientists have observed this phenomenon directly, improving our understanding of this geologically active moon,” said Tsang, a senior research scientist in SwRI’s Space Science and Engineering Division. The findings were published in a study titled “The Collapse of Io’s Primary Atmosphere in Jupiter Eclipse” in the Journal of Geophysical Research. The team used the eight-meter Gemini North telescope in Hawai’i with the Texas Echelon Cross Echelle Spectrograph (TEXES) for this research. Data showed that Io’s atmosphere begins to “deflate” when the temperatures drop from -235 degrees Fahrenheit (-148 ℃) in sunlight to -270 degrees Fahrenheit (-168 ℃) during eclipse. Eclipse occurs 2 hours of every Io day (1.7 Earth days). In full... read more
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