Behind every astronomical discovery are the stories and experiences of the people who made it possible. Explore the latest from across the Maunakea Observatories.
STORIES
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A Discovery Rooted in Community: How a Citizen Scientist's Discovery Brings Leilani to the stars
When volunteer citizen scientist Todd Fisher discovered a new asteroid using data from the Subaru Telescope, he had the opportunity to propose a name. He chose Leilani, honoring a Hawaiʻi community that holds deep meaning for his family and preserving its memory in the night sky.
UH Hilo, Canada-France-Hawaiʻi Telescope, and Université Laval Collaborate to Simulate Galaxy Collision
A new study co-authored by Camille Poitras, Dr. R. Pierre Martin of the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, and colleagues at Université Laval (Québec, Canada) simulates the past, present, and future of a collision between two spiral galaxies, using Canada-France-Hawaiʻi Telescope data. Discoveries like these speak to the importance of undergraduate research experience and international collaboration.
“Not Our Everyday Supernova”: Superluminous Supernova Brings Together Collaborators Across the World
A global team of researchers has coalesced around the discovery of one of the most distant, extremely bright supernovae ever found, highlighting the collaborative nature of modern astronomy. The unique benefits of Maunakea as a site for cosmos exploration and the unparalleled power of W.M. Keck Observatory’s instruments made this discovery possible.
Subaru and Keck Help Discover Two Rare Companions in Distant Solar Systems
As part of the new OASIS program, Subaru Telescope and W.M. Keck Observatory helped discover two rare companions orbiting distant stars — a giant planet, and a brown dwarf that could play a starring role in NASA’s new Roman Space Telescope.
James Clerk Maxwell Telescope Helps Discover 13 Distant, Dusty Galaxies
Utilizing the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) on Maunakea and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), researchers confirmed the existence of 13 new strongly lensed, distant dusty galaxies — nearly an order of magnitude fainter than any detected before.
Surprising New Images of Pōwehi Black Hole Unveiled
A series of three images of the supermassive black hole Pōwehi, taken in 2017, 2018, and the newest in 2021, shows surprising changes in the polarization patterns surrounding Pōwehi. Geoffrey Bower, Director of James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) on Maunakea, breaks down this discovery and gives a peek into what comes next.
Canada-France-Hawaiʻi Telescope’s MegaCam Helps Discover 128 New Saturnian Moons
The Canada-France-Hawaiʻi Telescope (CFHT) played an integral role in discovering 128 new moons of Saturn, which were recognized by the International Astronomical Union on March 11, 2025. CFHT was able to collect this data thanks to MegaCam, a wide-field-of-view imager. Dr. Heather Flewelling, a CFHT instrument scientist, provided a behind-the-scenes look at the technology and process behind the discovery.
New Subaru Telescope Observations Reveal the Structure of the Outer Solar System
Dr. Tsuyoshi Terai, Subaru Support Astronomer, gives a deeper look into the process behind the new observations about the outer solar system released by the Subaru Telescope in partnership with the New Horizons spacecraft and discusses what they potentially mean for our understanding of the solar system.