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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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.
ʻŌnohiʻula: Subaru Telescope’s PFS Instrument Receives Hawaiian Name
The new Prime Focus Spectrograph (PFS) at the Subaru Telescope on Maunakea was gifted the Hawaiian name ʻŌnohiʻula, officially presented by Dr. Larry Kimura. ʻŌnohiʻula carries multiple layers of meanings — ʻŌnohi communicating how the instrument perceives the cosmos like an eye, and ʻula meaning red, and its association with the sacred realm of origin in Hawaiian culture.
“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.
A New Instrument to Rapidly Characterize Near-Earth Asteroids
A new instrument being built for NASA’s Infrared Telescope Facility will help astronomers quickly study near-Earth asteroids, providing critical information about their composition and potential hazards.
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.
The University of Hawaiʻi Institute for Astronomy Initiates Decommissioning of UKIRT
The University of Hawaiʻi Institute for Astronomy (IfA) has officially initiated the decommissioning process for the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT) on Maunakea. UKIRT is the third telescope to be decommissioned, reaffirming UH’s commitment to responsible stewardship and restoration of these sites on Maunakea.
UH Telescope on Maunakea Earns Global Honor
By University of Hawaiʻi News
The University of Hawaiʻi’s 2.2-meter (88 inch) telescope on Maunakea has been recognized by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) as an IEEE Milestone, a significant honor spotlighting innovations that changed the world. Innovations developed or tested by the UH88 have shaped astronomy worldwide and include breakthrough digital imaging, adaptive optics and the HAWAII near-infrared detectors used on NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.
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 CFHT-Asahi StarCam Brings Live Views of Maunakea to the World
Since 2021, the Subaru-Asahi StarCam has provided a 24/7 livestream of the eastern side of Maunakea for viewers. Now, a new livestream is offering an additional view from the new CFHT-Asahi StarCam thanks to a partnership between the Canada-France-Hawaiʻi Telescope (CFHT) and Asahi Shimbun.
Subaru Telescope’s New Compound Eye to Start Exploring the Universe in February
The Subaru Telescope studies objects that are relatively close together in the distant universe, and it is enhancing its capabilities with a new instrument called the Prime Focus Spectrograph (PFS). The PFS is a powerful compound eye that allows the telescope to simultaneously observe 2,400 celestial bodies with 2,400 prisms scattered across the telescope's ultra-wide field of view.
Nānā ao: Maunakea Observatories’ New Instrument
Nānā ao, “watcher of clouds” in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian), is a new instrument that will be shared by the Maunakea observatories to facilitate the detection of oncoming banks of clouds by our nighttime observers.
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.