W. M. Keck Observatory

Trivia: Who am I? 🤔 Can you name this celestial object?  🖊️ Share your best guess in the comments below 🔍 Clue: When I enter this phase, I appear invisible. Many cultures use my “absence” to mark a new beginning. When I go dark, other celestial objects have a chance to shine brighter in Earth’s night sky. ✨ Stay tuned as we reveal the answer tomorrow 📸 Kelsie Diperna  #triviatuesday #hawaiiastronomy

Phenomenon Friday 🎆 I am the most powerful, violent explosion known in the universe. My intense beam of radiation lasts anywhere from a few milliseconds to several minutes. The light I emit can be as luminous as a million trillion Suns. I’m caused by either two neutron stars merging, a neutron star and a black hole merging, or when a massive star collapses and forms a black hole. What am I? A gamma-ray burst, like this one 👉 https://lnkd.in/gdttxUp9 📸 GRB 211211A was an unusual gamma-ray burst. Its initial flare of gamma rays lasted nearly a minute, and it was followed by a kilonova. It doesn’t fit neatly into the two categories scientists typically use for these bursts. As shown in this animation, some researchers think this event could be the result of the merger of a black hole and a neutron star. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center #phenomenonfriday #keckobservatory #maunakeaobservatories #hawaiiastronomy

Who am I? The answer to yesterday's #triviatuesday is: Hōkūloa, or Venus. In Hawaiian, Hōkūloa translates to “long or great star.” The planet shines so brightly that it resembles a prominent “star,” thanks to its close proximity to Earth and highly reflective clouds that bounce sunlight back into space. As the second planet from the Sun, with an orbit inside Earth’s, Hōkūloa always appears close to the Sun in our sky. This is why you can spot it either before sunrise or after sunset (though not always visible on some days), and is sometimes called Hōkūao (“Morning Star") and Hōkūahiahi ("Evening Star"). For Hawaiian agriculturists, Venus served as a natural clock  – its early morning appearance marked the time to till the land in the cool of dawn. For fishermen, Hōkūloa’s evening appearance signaled it was time to return home after nightfall. 📸 H. Raab (edited) #triviatuesday #hawaiiastronomy

Trivia: Who am I? 🤔 Can you name this celestial object?  🖊️ Share your best guess in the comments below 🔍 Clue: I shine brightly before sunrise and after sunset. Because of this, I served as a natural clock for farmers in the early morning and a guide for homeward-bound fishermen in the evening.  ✨ Stay tuned as we reveal the answer tomorrow 📸 H. Raab #triviatuesday #hawaiiastronomy

LOOK UP: Tonight! A rare, super blue moon will rise in the night sky - but it doesn’t have to do with color 🤔 Rather, “blue moon” refers to the frequency of full moons. There are two types of blue moons: 1) seasonal, the third full moon in a season with four full moons (instead of the usual three); and 2) monthly, the second full moon in a calendar month. Tonight is Summer’s seasonal blue moon. It’s also a “supermoon”, which occurs when a full moon coincides with the Moon’s closest approach to Earth in its orbit, making the Moon appear slightly larger and brighter! 👉 https://bit.ly/46JsIfE 📸 Creative Commons 

Happy #NationalNonprofitDay! Today we celebrate the profound impact of philanthropic organizations across the globe and their vital role in building stronger communities. Nonprofits serve as a vessel for people to come together, sharing resources and support that enrich the lives of many. The connections they foster - whether through giving or receiving - are invaluable. Keck Observatory is deeply grateful and honored to collaborate with fellow nonprofits in the local community, including the Waimea Community Association, Vibrant Hawaiʻi, Kaukau4Keiki, Hawaii Island United Way, Akamai Workforce Initiative, and many others. Mahalo nui to all nonprofits dedicated to helping our Hawai‘i Island community thrive!

Phenomenon Friday 🎆 I am a thick, donut-shaped region located beyond Neptune’s orbit. I contain millions of small icy worlds, including Pluto! These objects are remnants of the debris left over from when our solar system formed. What am I? The Kuiper Belt. Check out some of the objects that call me home 👉 https://lnkd.in/g79jgEmg #phenomenonfriday #keckobservatory #maunakeaobservatories #hawaiiastronomy 📸ESO/M. Kornmesser

LOOK UP: An average of up to ~100 “shooting stars” per hour! 🌠 Catch some gorgeous streaks in the sky as the Perseid meteor shower peaks overnight. This popular shower comes from the debris of Comet Swift-Tuttle. Every year around this time, Earth travels through the densest part of this dusty debris of ice and rock left behind by the comet. The Perseids are best known for fireballs ☄️ – explosive streaks of light and color, much brighter and longer-lasting than an average meteor. The predicted peak is early tomorrow morning (August 12) at 4 a.m. Hawaiʻi time, so your best bet is to look for the Perseids after the moon sets tonight at 11:23 pm and before tomorrow’s sunrise. Learn more 👉 https://bit.ly/3LYpWJH 📸 Trevor Bexon

Our fellow Maunakea Observatories friends at Subaru Telescope and Gemini Observatory are celebrating 25 years of scientific discoveries! Come join us in Hilo to celebrate the anniversary of their “first light” - the first time their telescopes “saw” light from the universe 💫 Enjoy an astronomical evening of family fun - all are invited. We hope to see you there! 

When we come together, the possibilities are endless 💝 This Sunday, join Parker Ranch Center in partnership with Hawai‘i Island United Way for an event marking the one year anniversary of the devastating August 2023 wildfires on Maui. You’ll have an opportunity to help families who are still in need by donating from a wish list of essential items, including gas cards, food cards, and air conditioners. Show your support by bringing family and friends to enjoy keiki activities, musical entertainment, and much more. Keckies will be there to share “the magic of infrared light”– a hands-on activity for kids and kids at heart. All proceeds will go towards Maui United Way's wildfire recovery initiatives. Please join us! Details 👉 https://bit.ly/3yuq40B