Kilo Hōkū - Telling Stories of Hawaiian Stars

07/19/2026

Watching the World Cup?

Nope, just becoming the first to witness an extraterrestrial collision in our solar system! Astronomers got the opportunity of a lifetime from July 16–22, 1994, when at least 21 fragments of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 collided with Jupiter with the force of 300 million atomic bombs.

The collisions created huge plumes that heated the atmosphere to temperatures as hot as 53,000–71,000 °F (30,000–40,000 °C).

Photo: Carolyn and Gene Shoemaker, two of the three scientists who discovered Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, crowd around a computer with others on July 16, 1994, to see the first images of fragments of comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 hitting Jupiter. The images were displayed on a monitor at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. Credit: John Aiello/STScI

07/14/2026

This summer, Subaru Telescope will welcome a new near-infrared spectrograph, NINJA, for its first on-sky engineering observations. NINJA is a new spectrograph designed fo...

07/14/2026

07/14/2026

The Omega Centauri cluster is home to millions of stars, meaning that it should be filled with black holes left behind by exploding stars – but evidence for them has been scarce.

Now, using over 20 years of Hubble observations alongside recent data from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have found Omega Centauri’s first stellar-mass black hole, which has a visible star companion shown here in greater detail.

Unlock more of the cosmic discovery here: https://go.nasa.gov/3SXjmKq

Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, M. Häberle (MPIA), Joseph DePasquale (STScI)

07/14/2026

Looking for a career that is out of this world? W. M. Keck Observatory on Maunakea is hiring for several positions:

💼 Financial Planning & Analysis Manager
💼 Infrastructure Technician
💼 Mechanical Engineer I
💼 Mechanical Engineer II

Behind every scientific breakthrough is a team of talented people making it possible. From engineering and operations to finance and administration, every role contributes to Keck's mission of advancing the frontiers of astronomy while responsibly stewarding people and place.

🔗 If you're interested in joining the Maunakea Observatories ʻohana, learn more and apply at keck.pinpointhq.com/ -careers-jobs-block

07/14/2026

The Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) announced an increased investment in the Giant Magellan Telescope, bringing its total commitment to nearly $110 million.

07/13/2026

07/13/2026

07/10/2026

Where is Māui's Fish Hook?

Edit 2: Mahalo nunui To Aboriginal Skies and Martin Whipp for pointing out that we had the wrong stars marked! Correction should be up and visible now!

Edit 1: Aboriginal Skies and Martin Whipp have pointed out an error! 🤦‍♀️ Southern Cross is the one by ʻAi Kanaka's nose, not the kapakahi one to the right! We will get that fixed ASAP!!!

07/10/2026

Congratulations to Juniper Masser and Lilly Newcomb, who were honored as special mentions in the 2026 Maunakea Coin Contest — an annual event for K-12 students on Hawaiʻi Island, organized by the Maunakea Astronomy Outreach Committee and Subaru Telescope Hawaii Outreach.

Judges appreciated Juniper's thoughtful depiction of two nēnē and the wēkiu bug, and especially their striking original wa‘a (canoe) constellation. Judges also loved Lilly's constellations, depicting Māui's fishhook (Scorpius) and Kaheiheionākeiki (Orion). Her design shows the moʻolelo (story) of the battle between Pele and Poliʻahu.

🔗 Stay tuned for one last round of special mentions from the 2026 Maunakea Coin Contest! You can learn more about the designs at maunakeaobservatories.org/coin-contest-archive