Students in Hawaiʻi Name Mesmerizing Image Ua ʻŌhiʻa Lani for the International Gemini Observatory’s 25th Anniversary

Click here to read the full photo release, originally published by NOIRLab.

Credit: International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA
Image Processing: J. Miller & M. Rodriguez (International Gemini Observatory/NSF NOIRLab), T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage/NSF NOIRLab), M. Zamani (NSF NOIRLab)

In July 2025, four Hawaiʻi Island high school students participated in a summer internship during which they researched, selected, and named the image released today to celebrate the International Gemini Observatory’s 25th anniversary. Inspired by a traditional Hawaiian story, they chose the name Ua ʻŌhiʻa Lani, which means the Heavenly ʻŌhiʻa Rains. The image features the emission nebula NGC 6820, as well as its embedded open star cluster NGC 6823, captured in incredible detail by the Gemini North telescope on Maunakea. The Gemini North telescope celebrated First Light in June 1999, and the Observatory was completed 25 years ago when its Southern Hemisphere twin, the Gemini South telescope, saw First Light in November 2000.

“This image is crimson and red like lava because of the abundance of hydrogen gas present in the nebula,” explains Gemini intern Hope Arthur. “One of Pele’s most well-known stories is that of ʻŌhiʻa and Lehua. Their story is about regrowth after tragedy and the act of new beginnings, which we felt was evocative of the cycle of stellar life, death, and rebirth.”

The selection of this target for Gemini North’s anniversary image began with the Gemini First Light Anniversary Image Contest. This contest engaged students in Hawai‘i and Chile — the host locations of the Gemini telescopes — to choose which type of astronomical object each telescope should image. Before voting, students took part in educational activities that taught them about different astronomical phenomena.

The top contenders from the contest were then narrowed down by four students from Kamehameha Schools in Keaʻau and Parker School in Waimea who were participating in Gemini’s first-ever Project Hōkūlani summer internship, in partnership with CLD TEAMS at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Interns Hope Arthur, Iolani Sanches, Zoe Russo, and Isabella Branco researched the top four contenders and presented their findings before reaching a group consensus on which astronomical object to image.

“It was so important to me that our interns gained a solid understanding of not just the astronomical science that takes place on Maunakea, but also the cultural and environmental significance of the mauna,” said Leinani Lozi, Hawaiʻi Education and Engagement Manager at Gemini North and internship mentor. “The depth of their learning is evident in the name they created, and I’m so impressed and proud of them.” 

In addition to the research and presentation portions of their internship, the students also engaged in telescope operations, the astronomical imaging process, visits to the summit of Maunakea, Native Hawaiian protocol for entering wahi pana (sacred spaces), and stargazing at the Visitor Information Station and Liliʻuokalani Gardens. These experiences introduced the students to the variety of career options at observatories.

Russo had this to share about her experience: “I realized that we have so many science opportunities here, thanks to where we live. Project Hōkūlani has allowed us to dive deeper into our interests and make amazing connections. It's a great way to become established in a field or try something new for a little bit.”

The emission nebula NGC 6820 is located within the faint constellation Vulpecula, around 6000 light-years away from Earth. Vulpecula can be seen in the middle of the Summer Triangle: a famous asterism consisting of the bright stars Deneb, Vega, and Altair. In Hawaiʻi, this area of the sky is known as Mānaiakalani, the Great Fishhook of Maui. 

Emission nebulae are clouds of interstellar gas and dust that glow from being energized by ultraviolet radiation emitted by nearby stars. The stars fueling NGC 6820’s emission are those of the open star cluster NGC 6823, seen in this image as scattered specks of blue-white light dotting the veil of red gas. The intense radiation emitted by these hot, massive stars is blowing away the gas in the nebula, creating the dark, pillar-like structures seen emerging from the interstellar medium.

“The baby blue stars in the image reminded us of rain and how, in the story of ʻŌhiʻa and Lehua, when you pick the lehua blossoms, it rains. The fact that these are all young stars and that we learned this story when we were children felt important,” says Sanches.

This image was taken as part of the NOIRLab Legacy Imaging Program — a continuation of the program started at the International Gemini Observatory in 2002, called the Gemini Legacy Imaging Program. Its aim is to use observing time on NOIRLab telescopes that is dedicated to acquiring data specifically for color images to share with the public. Stay tuned for the upcoming Photo Release featuring the image contest winner for the Gemini South telescope in Chile.