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UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI‘I

INSTITUTE FOR ASTRONOMY

Five Decades of Discovery

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John T. Jefferies – The Visionary

Let me say how grateful we must all be to the director and staff of the Institute for

the opportunity to celebrate a program that has risen, during its 50-year lifetime,

from hope and determination to the world-class status it enjoys. All those who over

this long stretch of years worked to make this possible should take pride in having

contributed to the creation of something of real distinction. The people of the State

of Hawai‘i, too, may share a genuine satisfaction in seeing their state brought to the

forefront of humanity’s effort to understand the universe and our place in it. I like to

think that Governor John Burns, always a strong supporter of our program, would

take great satisfaction in seeing what has been built at the Institute, and all that

has sprung from it in Hawai‘i. In addition, no acknowledgment would be complete

without a special notice of those at all levels in NASA who were willing to take a risk

on a very untried program. Without their boldness and unfailing support, we would

surely not be celebrating this anniversary.

As the person responsible for leading the Institute for its first 16 years, I am naturally

very proud to have been associated so intimately with it, and gratified at how it has

thrived. For what it is worth, let me offer my admiration to the several directors and

all the staff who succeeded me for making this so.

Finally, a special word of thanks to all those colleagues and friends who worked with

such integrity and in a spirit of mutual support and respect, to advance us toward

the bright and shining goal that was ours from the start. Working with them was

the most rewarding part of my professional life – I hope that they look back on those

days with equal satisfaction and pleasure.

— John Jefferies, Director 1967-1983

In 1967, John Jefferies was named first director of the new Institute for Astronomy. In 1975, construction for a dedicated building began in Mānoa. During his tenure as director, six major telescopes were commissioned: the UH 2.2-m telescope, the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility, the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope, the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory, and the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope. This new generation of telescopes established Maunakea as the greatest observatory site in the world.

Photo by Richard Wainscoat

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A Global ViewThe summits of Maunakea and Haleakala in Hawai‘i are the best astronomical observing sites in the

world, hosting many international observatories. We owe a debt of gratitude to John Jefferies and those

who followed his leadership in establishing the IfA. We now operate the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility,

the UH 2.2-m telescope, a suite of survey telescopes including two for Pan-STARRS, two for the Asteroid

Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System, and one for the Variable Young Stellar Objects Survey, as well as the

Mees Solar Observatory. We are also responsible for the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope and the James

Clerk Maxwell Telescope, both on Maunakea.

Our staff of about 250, in cluding 55 astronomers and over 30 graduate students, undertakes research

in almost all areas of astronomy, and our innovative instrumentation program includes adaptive optics

and array detector development as well as major instruments for the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope.

Together with the other observatories in Hawai‘i, and collaborations with partners across the globe, these

remarkable resources support our vibrant and diverse research, prepare our grad uate and un dergradu ate

students for exciting scientific careers, and connect our people and discoveries to the local community.

Our success resides in the dedication of our staff, in the support of the University of Hawai‘i, and the

people of the State of Hawai‘i .

—Günther Hasinger, IfA Director

The UH IfA Journey

Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope groundbreaking on Maunakea, July 2, 1974. L to R: Mr. Guy Vachon (SNC, Inc., Canada); Rev. Israel Kamoku; Dr. John T. Jefferies (University of Hawai‘i and CFHT Board of Directors): Dr. Roger Cayrel (Chief Project Officer, CFHT Corporation); Dr. Kenneth Wright (Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, Victoria, B.C.); and Mr. John Hoag (University of Hawai‘i Board of Regents)

Günther Hasinger

“We have 12 telescopes working like an orchestra up on Maunakea. And each one has a specialization of its own. We have the first and second violins (Keck I & Keck II), but also the smaller telescopes, which each have a tune of their own. And together, they play the ‘Symphony of the Stars.’”

— G.H. on PBS http://bit.ly/symofstars

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Eric Becklin: The TrailblazerWhen Voyager 1 flew by Jupiter’s moon Io in 1979

and discovered active volcanoes spewing gas and

ash miles high, NASA’s new Infrared Telescope

Facility on Maunakea was able to characterize the

infrared radiation from the eruptions.

“That made the IRTF unique. It was the only ground-based telescope at the time that could make these measurements, especially at 20 and 30 microns. There was a revolution in infrared astronomy at that time. It was very exciting.”

— Eric Becklin, IRTF Director 1979-1983

Don Hall: The NegotiatorBeginning in 1984, Don Hall’s directorship of

the Institute for Astronomy steered its growth to

become one of the leading astronomical research

institutes and graduate programs in the world.

“The siting of the Keck I and II, Gemini, and Subaru telescopes on Maunakea had a major impact on the Big Island and led to a very favorable impression of the IfA in the university, in the state, and beyond. The University of Hawai‘i share of these four telescopes is the equivalent of 50 percent of the observing time on an 8 –10 meter class telescope, but with access to a wider range of capabilities and instruments.”

—Don Hall, IfA Director 1984-1997

The NASA Infrared Telescope Facility on Maunakea

Facilities on Haleakala , Maui

Photo by Jason Chu

Photo by Rob Ratkowski

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As IfA Associate Director since 1990, one of Bob

McLaren’s jobs was to finalize agreements for

construction of a new generation of telescopes.

Even searching for the dawn of the universe requires

paperwork.

“Japan’s Subaru Telescope, the second Keck

Telescope, Gemini North, and the Submillimeter

Array all needed to complete the permitting process

with the agreements worked out between UH and

whoever was operating the telescope,” McLaren

said. “It was an intense time.”

Over the next decade, McLaren catalyzed the

growth of MKO from 3-meter to 10-meter class

telescopes, solidifying MKO’s reputation as the

world’s premier observatory in the Northern

Hemisphere.

In 2000, responding to community concerns

over future development, the Maunakea Science

Reserve Master Plan created the Office of Maunakea

Management (OMKM) to take responsibility for

mountain management.

After being the university’s managing entity for

everything on the mountain, this meant the IfA

could focus on science, and help protect Maunakea’s

natural resources without having to manage them.

The move also led to substantial direct benefits for

the community from the astronomy programs.

“In the case of the Thirty Meter Telescope, $1 million each year supports STEM education through scholarships and grants for teachers on the Big Island. It’s part of a real effort to involve the community in the excitement of astronomical discoveries.”

— Bob McLaren, IfA Associate Director 1990-2017

Enabling Astronomy

Maunakea Observatories on the Island of Hawai‘i. © NAOJ

PIONEERING TELESCOPES

Bob McLaren: Attention to Detail

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Photo by Karen Teramura

Photo by Karen Teramura

In July 2005, thousands of people gathered in Waikiki with IfA scientists to watch the live broadcast of the final stages of NASA’s Deep

Impact Mission to Comet Tempel 1.

2014 IfA Transit of Venus public event

Annual IfA Open House

Summer HISTAR Program

Summer HISTAR Program for secondary school students

IfA Open House

Photo: The Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Photo by Karen Teramura

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Engaging and Educating

COMMUNICATING DISCOVERIES

Clockwise from top: Astronomy undergraduate students observing remotely with the UH 2.2-m; IfA’s graduate students in 2017 (above) and in 1975 (left)

Astronomy is one of the oldest sciences, but one in which new discoveries are made daily.

With nothing more than light collected by state-of-the-art telescopes, scientists can measure

temperatures, compositions, velocities, and sizes. Combine this information with the laws of physics

and chemistry, and it’s possible to figure out what powers the Sun, find thousands of worlds around

other stars, and even look back to the dawn of the universe.

The University of Hawai‘i offers both Astronomy (BA) and Astrophysics (BS) degrees. For more

information on the undergraduate program, visit http://manoa.hawaii.edu/astronomy.

Our online graduate program pages can be found at http://gradprog.ifa.hawaii.edu/

“Our faculty have trained a total of 138 astronomy PhDs and 33 Masters students over 43 years. Almost all of these students have moved into science and technology professions. Many stayed in astronomy as researchers and educators, and some have become prominent leaders in our field. Whenever I run into alumni, they often recount fond memories of the Islands and the influence that the Institute had on them.”

— Jonathan Williams, Graduate Chair

Come explore the universe from paradise. We may not fly around the cosmos as in “Star Trek” but with every step of exploration, we find we’ve learned more about ourselves.”

— Geoffrey Mathews

Photo by Geoff Mathews

Photo by Jonathan Williams

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Top: Artist’s impression of the planetary system HD 7924, looking back toward our sun. Art by Karen Teramura & BJ Fulton

Above: An international team of scientists discovered more than 100 planets based on images from Kepler’s K2 Mission. The team confirmed and characterized the planets using a suite of telescopes worldwide, including four on Maunakea. Art by Karen Teramura

Right: Artist’s impression of the first Earth-sized rocky exoplanet, discovered by Andrew Howard and his collaborators. Art by Karen Teramura

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Looking for LithiumThe abundances of rare elements like lithium (Li),

beryllium (Be), and boron (B) are used to probe the

invisible interiors of stars. Lithium is familiar to us as

a key element in cell phone and camera batteries.

“By studying the abundances of Li, Be, and B using spectral lines at the surface of a star, we can learn something about the temperature structure in its hidden interior and the complicated process of convective gas circulation in stars.

The light element Li was formed during the Big Bang, so measuring its abundances helps us to understand the physics of the early universe.”

— Ann Boesgaard

Brown DwarfsBrown dwarfs are more massive than planets but

lighter than stars. They radiate almost no visible

light but their glow and heat can be detected in the

infrared.

“We know that our solar system and other systems had very dynamic early histories with a lot of jostling. It’s possible that brown dwarfs are the result of clumps of material being flung out from a proto-stellar disk. These clumps would continue condensing into massive objects but not enough to form a star.

If we can understand all the different kinds of stars that exist, we might understand all the different kinds of planets out there, and the environments for hosting life.”

— Michael Liu

Exploring New WorldsExtrasolar planets, the recently discovered

denizens of the universe, have opened a new era in

astronomy. Since the first exoplanet orbiting a Sun-

like star was discovered in 1995, more than 3,500

other worlds have been found orbiting nearby stars.

Hundreds more await confirmation.

“For thousands of years, people have asked if life is out there. We are now living in an age when we may actually answer that question.” — Andrew Howard

Many Stars, Even More PlanetsPIONEERING DISCOVERIES

Infrared image of the dusty brown dwarf binary HD 130948BC (top left). The binary is in orbit around a young sun-like star, seen to the lower right. This image was obtained with the adaptive optics system on the Keck II Telescope on Maunakea, Hawai‘i.

Image Credit: Michael Liu and Trent Dupuy

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Magnetic AttractionThe Sun has profound long- and short-term

effects on the Earth that are controlled by

its magnetism. The Daniel K. Inouye Solar

Telescope and its instruments will soon

revolutionize our understanding of how and

why solar magnetism varies.

“The CryoNIRSP instrument is one of the largest astronomical instruments the IfA has built. As soon as DKIST becomes operational, this will become the workhorse that local scientists and visitors from all over the world will use to trace the Sun’s coronal magnetism and its influence on the Earth.”

— Jeff Kuhn

Photo by Jason Chu8

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Living with a Star

PIONEERING DISCOVERIES

Pursuing the Solar Wind“Total solar eclipses offer unique observing opportunities for probing the evolution of magnetic structures with the expansion of the solar wind starting from the surface of the Sun. They also enable the investigation of the behavior of different ionized atoms, in addition to the free-streaming electrons and protons forming the corona and the solar wind. The total solar eclipse of August 21, 2017, which will traverse the US mainland, will offer unique opportunities for conducting a range of scientific experiments to unravel the secrets of the corona.” — Shadia Habbal

By observing a total solar eclipse, astronomers hope to solve one of the Sun’s biggest mysteries: why is the

Sun’s outer atmosphere (its corona) at one million degrees or more, while its surface is at 6000° C ? Visible to

the eye only during a total solar eclipse, the corona appears to be shaped by plumes and streams of gas that

flow outward into space, forming the solar wind.

Judd Johnson and Shadia Habbal with camera equipment used to observe solar eclipses during their worldwide expeditions

© Shadia Habbal, Miloslav Druckmüller, Peter Aniol, Martin Dietzel, Vojtech Rušin

Photo by Jason Chu Courtesy Shadia Habbal

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A Wider Field of ViewIn the 1990s, a new kind of electronic chip

(the OTCCD) made it possible to build large

digital cameras that could reduce the effects

of atmospheric disturbance over a much larger

field of view than that achieved by adaptive-

optics systems.

The array enabled Pan-STARRS, equipped with

the world’s largest digital camera, to image the

sky with a field of view equivalent to six times

the diameter of the Moon, mapping stars that

are 10 million times fainter than those observed

by the naked eye.

“Moving an image on a CCD chip can be done much more quickly than moving one of the mirrors of a telescope, as in a conventional adaptive optics system.”

— John Tonry

Astronomer John Tonry inspects the Pan-STARRS gigapixel camera

Photo by R.J.Wainscoat

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Pan-STARRS: The Cosmic CensusThe Panoramic Survey Telescope And

Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) was

commissioned in 2008 on Haleakala, Maui. The

observatory, with a 1.8-meter telescope, uses

a 1.4 billion pixel digital camera, the largest

ever built. In December 2016, Pan-STARRS

released the world’s largest digital sky survey

spanning the three-quarters of the entire sky

visible from Hawai‘i

Searching the SkiesPIONEERING DISCOVERIES

“Pan-STARRS has made discoveries from asteroids, comets, and Kuiper Belt Objects in the solar system to lonely planets between the stars. It has mapped the dust in three dimensions in our Galaxy and found new streams of stars, new kinds of exploding stars, and distant quasars in the early universe.”

— Ken Chambers, Director of the Pan-STARRS Observatories

Astronomer Richard Wainscoat and former IfA graduate student Marco Micheli point out one of a record 19 Near-Earth Asteroids discovered on January 29, 2011

Photo by Karen Teramura

This view of the entire sky visible from Hawai‘i by the Pan-STARRS1 telescope is the result of about 400,000 exposures, each an average of 45 seconds, taken over a period of four years. If printed at full resolution, it would be the size of Honolulu’s Ala Wai Golf Course. Credit: Pan-STARRS 1 Science Consortium

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At the Cosmic FrontierLen Cowie and Esther Hu study the most distant galaxies in the universe, from a

time when the first galaxies were beginning to light up the cosmos. Such light,

having traveled for 13 billion years, provides a unique window into how the first

galaxies originated.

“Our discovery in 2016 of the galaxy called COLA-1, the most luminous galaxy detected during this early period, gives us a unique look at a galaxy in this important stage of the evolution of the universe.” — Esther Hu

Wayfarer to the StarsThe Tully-Fisher Relation is used to determine the distances to thousands of far-off

galaxies. To locate our address on the cosmic map, Brent Tully and his team studied

more than 8,000 galaxies and used them to map the structure and dynamics of

the supercluster to which our Milky Way belongs. Named Laniakea, which means

“immense heaven” in Hawaiian, the supercluster contains over 100,000 galaxies in

a dazzling web flowing across 520 million light years.

“Knowing where we are gives us a sense of place. Yes, there is a lot of room up there, and a lot of galaxies, but the cosmos has a structure. Think of it as mapping the New World. We are coming to grips with our environment on a very large scale.”

— R. Brent Tully

Image Credit: Daniel Pomarede

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The Accelerating UniverseAn astonishing discovery of the last 20 years was that the universe is

expanding faster now than it was billions of years ago.

Type 1a Supernovae – exploding stars in distant galaxies – are so far

away that the light travel time lets us look back to a much earlier era, so

we can compare today’s expansion of the universe with that in the past.

John Tonry’s High-z team led the discovery using a new, super-sized

digital camera built at the IfA and mounted on the Canada-France-Hawaii

Telescope, and the spectrograph on the Keck Telescope. The increased

expansion rate that they discovered is now attributed to “dark energy,” a

property of the universe unrecognized before.

“It was exhilarating to work right on the bleeding edge of large detector arrays, large telescopes, computers, and software with a clock ticking to get the Hubble Space Telescope pointed before the supernova faded away. … The next step is to figure out exactly what “dark energy” means, by much better observations or perhaps just a good idea.”

—John Tonry

Beacons in the UniverseSupergiant stars like Rigel and Betelgeuse are the brightest stars in the

universe in visible and infrared light. With the powerful telescopes on

Maunakea, we can use them to study the formation and evolution of

galaxies that are hundreds of millions light-years away.

“Using these stars, I can determine distances to each of these galaxies with high precision, and this is one of the few ways of knowing the size of our universe.”

— Rolf-Peter Kudritzki

Our Vast UniversePIONEERING DISCOVERIES

The Super VoidThe blue region near the center of the image to the right shows a large

low density region of the universe where there is an unusual absence of

galaxies known as the “super void.” This low density region is estimated to

be about 1.8 billion light years across. The void was discovered by a team of

astronomers led by István Szapudi, who used spacecraft observations and

the Pan-STARRS Telescope to make this map. It covers a large area of the

sky, about 30 degrees on a side (indicated by the dashed circle).

“The super void is possibly the largest individual structure yet discovered by humanity.” — István Szapudi Image Credit: István Szapudi

Blue supergiant stars in the spiral galaxy NGC 300, 6 million light years from Earth

Image Credit: M. Schirmer (IAEF, Bonn), W. Gieren (Univ. de Concepción, Chile), et al., ESO

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Where does Earth’s water come from, and how did it

get here? Comets, the icy leftovers from the birth of

our solar system, are thought to contain chemical and

dynamical clues of how Earth’s water was formed.

With space missions to comets (Deep Impact, Stardust-

NeXT and EPOXI) as well as a possible future mission

led by UH, Karen Meech studies the chemical clues

from an astronomical perspective.

“The answer to where water comes from requires an interdisciplinary astrobiological approach combining insights from astronomy, astrochemistry, cosmochemistry, planetary dynamics, geology, and geochemistry.

The discovery of new classes of small bodies also may be the key to distinguishing between models of how our solar system was assembled.”

— Karen Meech

February 2013455 million miles from the Sun

May 2013360 million miles from the Sun

March 2013 April 2013

Comet ISON as it speeds toward the inner solar system ...Time-sequence image data from the Gemini North Observatory atop Maunakea.

NASA Deep Impact Mission–67 seconds after the impactor probe slammed into Comet Tempel 1 on July 4, 2005 to reveal material inside the comet

NASA EPOXI Mission. A close-up view of Comet Hartley 2 on Nov. 4, 2010

Comet Tempel 1

Comet Hartley 2 - Its orbit brings it close to Earth every 6.5 years.

Credit: Gemini Observatory/AURA. May 2013 composite by Travis Rector

Life Out There & Our Pale Blue Dot

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UMD

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Beyond NeptuneStarting in the 1980s, Dave Jewitt searched for distant objects

beyond Neptune in the outer solar system. He found dozens.

Today, nearly 2000 objects are known to orbit in a region we now

call the Kuiper Belt—ancient, icy, miniature worlds thought to

be almost unchanged since the formation of the solar system.

“The Kuiper Belt has revolutionized our understanding of the solar system. Not only does it answer a long-standing question about where comets come from, but the structure of the Belt has given us a new picture of solar system formation and evolution.”

— Dave Jewitt

A Closer Look at PlutoBillions of miles from Earth, Pluto and around

100,000 smaller icy bodies preserve solar system

history in a kind of cosmic deep freeze. In 2007,

Dave Tholen used the Keck Telescope and its

adaptive-optics system to take an image of

Pluto and its moons that exceeded the sharpness

possible with the Hubble Space Telescope. Such

observations helped optimize NASA’s New Horizons

spacecraft’s thrilling flyby in July 2015.

“Pluto has been such an enigmatic world. Despite being almost spherical it shows a brightness variation of 35 percent as it rotates…it has one large satellite and four smaller ones, yet Pluto is smaller than our own Moon. How did it form? Are there other Pluto-like objects even farther from the Sun?” — Dave Tholen

Rocks, Water, and Life

PIONEERING DISCOVERIES

Just 15 minutes after its closest approach to Pluto on July 14, 2015, NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft looked back toward the sun and captured this near-sunset view of the rugged, icy mountains and flat ice plains extending to Pluto’s horizon. The smooth expanse of terrain is flanked to the west by rugged mountains up to 11,000 feet high, including the informally named Norgay Montes in the foreground and Hillary Montes on the skyline. The image was taken 11,000 miles from Pluto; the scene is 230 miles across.

By comparing hundreds of images of the sky, David Jewitt and Jane Luu found dozens of Kuiper Belt objects such as QB1, shown in this figure. This led to the realization that Pluto itself was a Kuiper Belt Object

Credit: Gemini Observatory/AURA. May 2013 composite by Travis Rector

Photo by Dan Birchall

Photo by H Jakobsen Courtesy D. Jewitt

Credit: NASA

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A Team EffortWhen Robo-AO-2, a robotic laser adaptive optics system, is installed on the UH 2.2-m telescope in the near

future, it will dramatically improve image acuity of Maunakea skies by a factor of 10. Built by Christoph

Baranec and his team at the IfA, the system will expand our knowledge of binary stars, transiting exoplanet

systems, supernovae, and the distribution of dark matter in the local universe.

“Once deployed, the new Robo-AO-2 will be at the forefront of space-like image quality from the ground. We will augment the infrared cameras with new technology developed right here in Hawai‘i. I’m also excited that students from Hawai‘i will be deeply involved in engineering Robo-AO-2, deploying new technologies, and undertaking several of the upcoming science surveys.” — Christoph Baranec

Tools and TechnologyPIONEERING TECHNOLOGY

Adaptive Optics: Taking Out the TwinkleAs starlight travels through Earth’s atmosphere, atmospheric turbulence distorts the light, erasing fine

detail. Adaptive optics uses sensors and adjustable mirrors – moving more than a thousand times a second

inside the telescope – to sharpen the image and bring it back to focus.

In 1988, François Roddier designed a deformable mirror system called Hokupa‘a (“immovable star” in

Hawaiian) for the Gemini North Telescope. Its successor, the Near-Infrared Coronagraphic Imager, built by a

team led by Mark Chun and Christ Ftaclas at the IfA, was commissioned for the Gemini South Telescope in

Chile, which searches for and images large Jupiter-like planets around nearby stars.

“Adaptive optics brought us the first images of a system of planets outside of our solar system. It has enabled us to observe the motion of stars around the center of our Milky Way galaxy, allowing us to measure the mass of the black hole that resides there.” — Mark Chun

The HAWAII Series of Infrared Arrays: A Window on the UniverseInfrared radiation is light at longer wavelengths

than the light we see with our eyes. Although

we cannot see infrared radiation, we can feel it

as heat. By using infrared sensors, scientists are

able to observe the formation of the first stars and

galaxies. The expansion of the universe causes the

radiation from these extremely distant objects to

shift from visible wavelengths to the longer infrared

wavelengths, in the same way that the pitch of an

ambulance siren becomes lower as the ambulance

moves away from you.

The ‘ohana of infrared sensor arrays developed by

Don Hall’s team was conceived in Hawai‘i, and is

used around the world and in space. The arrays will

be launched in 2018 on three scientific instruments

on the James Webb Space Telescope.

“These detectors are vital to the long term success of the James Webb Space Telescope and other upcoming astronomy missions. They also greatly improve the infrared sensitivity of ground-based telescopes such as those on Maunakea today and are critical for the upcoming 30-meter class telescopes.” — Don Hall

Inside Gemini North Telescope

Cour

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: Tele

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Scien

tific &

Imag

ing

Preparing the James Webb Space Telescope’s fine guidance sensor focal plane array for cryogenic performance testing

Photo by R.J. Wainscoat

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“The ATLAS vision demonstrates that big science and big data are possible at low cost and small size. Our unique time-domain view of the universe has created research opportunities across many astronomical disciplines, from the solar system to black hole mergers.”

—Larry Denneau, ATLAS

Daytime observing at the IRTF

Infrared instrumentation for the IRTF built by IfA scientists, engineers, and technicians

Photo by Henry Weiland

Photo by Alan Tokunaga

Photo by Alan Tokunaga

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Exploring Our Solar System

The NASA Infrared Telescope Facility is operated by the IfA under a

contract from NASA to provide mission support and solar system observations for US and

international researchers. The telescope was commissioned in 1979 in time for the flyby of

Voyager spacecraft past Jupiter. The staff of the IRTF has been engaged in the development

of infrared instrumentation since the beginning with single detectors, to the present with

detector arrays having 4 million pixels. Most of the observations are now done remotely

through the internet.

The Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) is

an asteroid impact early-warning system being developed by the University of Hawai‘i and

funded by NASA. ATLAS will provide one day’s warning for a 30-kiloton “town killer,” a week

for a 5-megaton “city killer,” and three weeks for a 100-megaton “county killer”. The system

consists of two telescopes, 100 miles apart, which automatically scan the whole sky several

times every night looking for moving objects. It will also detect hundreds of supernovae,

and possibly new types of astronomical phenomena.

“Recent exciting observations at the IRTF range from frequent infrared imaging of Jupiter in support of NASA’s Juno orbiter, to the discovery of infrared aurorae on the giant ice planet Uranus, using new instrumentation built at the IfA.” — John Rayner, IRTF Director

NASA Infrared Telescope Facility atop Maunakea. Credit: Michael ConnelleyPhoto by Henry Weiland

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Putting the Universe OnlineIn the early days, astronomers on Maunakea carried their data back to their home institutions in notebooks, strip charts, punch cards, or on photographic plates. The invention of digital devices like CCD cameras, and the complementary development of internet-based communication networks enabled a whole new way of observing. MKO played a leading role in moving Hawai‘i into the digital age using underground and undersea fiber networks.

Astronomers can now use the internet to control their instruments and preview their data in real time, while seated comfortably in their sea-level offices around the world.

“As we were making Maunakea the best-connected site for modern astronomy in the world, we were also reducing traffic and impact on the mountain. And many of our projects integrated the entire state, so that today our public schools, public libraries, community colleges, and universities are connected as well as anywhere in the world.” — David Lassner (UH President) and Pui Hin Rhoads

Connecting Hawai‘i and the World

Credit: NASA MODIS

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Günther Hasinger – A Shining FutureOur top priority is ensuring that the IfA remains at the cutting edge of astronomy for decades to come. We look forward to using the many new instruments and facilities that we will build and have access to in the next decades:

•OnMaunakea,alloftheobservatorieswillremaincompetitivefortheforeseeablefuture,and the IfA will continue to have access to them for our research. Our renovated UH 2.2-m telescope will be upgraded with a new adaptive optics system. A specialized 10-m telescope, able to collect thousands of spectra simultaneously, will replace the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. Another important frontier is the Thirty Meter Telescope; we remain hopeful that construction will begin in early 2018.

•OnHaleakala, the largest solar telescope in the world will advance the frontiers of solar physics. The second Pan-STARRS telescope will improve the odds of finding new objects in the solar system, especially asteroids that come close to the Earth. The ATLAS telescope, paired with one on Maunaloa, will find dangerous asteroids on a collision course with the Earth. A dedicated high-contrast PLANETS (Polarized Light from Atmospheres of Nearby Extra-Terrestrial Systems) telescope is also planned.

•Elsewhere,wehopetobuildadditionalATLAStelescopesinthesouthernhemisphere.Thereis a proposal for a Hawai‘i Orbiting Space Telescope (HOST) to conduct sky surveys, and also the possibility of working jointly with the European Space Agency’s Euclid mission to measure the cosmological acceleration of the universe.

With these wonderful resources and an ongoing investment in our world-class faculty and students, the IfA will pursue a vibrant range of research programs, making discoveries we cannot even imagine today. Through our education and community programs, we will engage the next generation of astronomers with the amazing opportunities we enjoy in our own backyard, and ensure that the IfA and Hawai‘i remain exceptional places for astronomy for at least 50 more years.

Günther Hasinger enjoys showing attendees how to use solar binoculars at IfA’s public viewing of the Transit of Venus on Waikiki Beach

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Founded in 1967, the Institute for Astronomy at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa conducts research into galaxies, cosmology, stars, planets, and the sun. Its faculty and staff are also involved in astronomy education, deep space missions, and in the development and management of the observatories on Haleakala and Maunakea.

Our Mission is to advance scientific

understanding of the origin and nature of the

universe by conducting high-impact research,

developing new observation technologies,

and sharing knowledge of astronomy through

education and outreach.

Our Vision is to be a premier institution

for astronomy research and education locally,

nationally, and internationally. The summits

of Maunakea and Haleakala in Hawai‘i

provide the best observing sites in the world,

housing many international observatories.

Published by UH Institute for AstronomyOnline version:

about.ifa.hawaii.edu/history/ifa50_brochure

Günther Hasinger, IfA DirectorRoy Gal, Education & OutreachCarolyn Kaichi, Hilo OutreachJames Armstrong, Maui Outreach Chris Oliver, WriterKaren Teramura, Art/Design/Production

The University of Hawai‘i Institute for Astronomy2680 Woodlawn Drive

Honolulu, HI 96822-18391.808.956.8566

www.ifa.hawaii.edu cover photo by Jason Chu