23rd Annual AstroDay Brings Science and Discovery to Hilo

The 23rd annual AstroDay lit up Prince Kūhiō Plaza in Hilo on Saturday, May 3, 2025, with hands-on exploration and out-of-this-world excitement. Featured in Big Island Now's "Top 10 things to do on Big Island for May 2-8", this year’s event, themed “Expanding Your Universe,” welcomed families from across Hawaiʻi Island for a free day of space, science, and technology.

Sponsored by the Maunakea Observatories and coordinated by the University of Hawaiʻi Institute for Astronomy, AstroDay featured more than 30 organizations offering interactive activities, science demonstrations, robotics challenges, and educational games. From keiki building solar system models to teens competing in robotics matches, the event sparked excitement for STEM learning in fun and meaningful ways.

“It was great to see so many children and families enjoying AstroDay,” said Carolyn Kaichi, education and outreach coordinator at the University of Hawai‘i Institute for Astronomy. “They really had the chance to immerse themselves in the sciences, and we hope that experience inspires them as they grow and learn.”

A standout moment of the day was the announcement of this year’s Maunakea Coin Contest winner. The annual competition invites K–12 students from Hawaiʻi Island to create original artwork inspired by astronomy. From hundreds of entries, one winning design is selected to appear on the collector coin, with additional prizes awarded to other standout submissions.

This year’s top honor went to Ros Haleyah Mari Asuncion Ganot, an 11th grader at Pāhoa High and Intermediate School. Her astronomy-themed design is now featured on the 2025 Maunakea collector coin and the official AstroDay t-shirt.

Mahalo to all the organizations that brought AstroDay 2025 to life: UH Institute for Astronomy; Canada France Hawaiʻi Telescope; Subaru Telescope; Submillimeter Array; Gemini Observatory; W. M. Keck Observatory; Las Cumbres Observatory (Maui); Maunakea Visitor Information Station; Thirty Meter Telescope; East Asian Observatory/James Clerk Maxwell Telescope; Project PANOPTES; Hawaiʻi Science & Technology Museum; UH Hawaiʻi Space Flight Lab; Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems (PISCES); Onizuka Space Science Program; Maunakea Coin Contest; UH Hilo Physics & Astronomy Department; Shadow the Scientist Program; Thelma Parker Memorial Public & School Library; Hilo Viking Robotics; Waiākea HS “Hot Rocks”; Waiākea HS Key Club; International Lunar Observatory Association; USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory; NOAA National Weather Service; STARBASE Hawaiʻi; Pacific Tsunami Museum; Hawaiʻi Keiki Museum; Hōʻāla Program; and MPI Security.