Institute for Astronomy to hold first Maui Open House
University of HawaiʻiThe University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy will be holding its first Maui Open House on Friday, September 14 from 6 to 8 p.m. at its new building, the Maikalani Advanced Technology Research Center. There will be fun activities for all ages: laboratory tours and demonstrations, talks about the latest discoveries, stargazing through telescopes, and "Ask a Scientist," a chance to have your questions answered by an expert.
The ATRC is located at 34 Ohia Ku Street in the Kulamalu Town Center, Pukalani, which is above Kamehameha Schools. Admission is free. Please park on the street unless you need handicapped parking, which is available.
Talks will include "What's Really Going On at the Institute for Astronomy on Maui," "The Akamai Program: Advancing Local Students into High Tech Careers," and "Computer Models of Solar Eruptions." There will also be interactive talks entitled "24 hours of Sunlight: South Pole Science" and "Where's Waldo? Restoring Images."
"We are so pleased to finally be able to share our new building and our work with the Maui community," said IfA Director Rolf-Peter Kudritzki. "The new facility is necessary to support our work on Haleakala in solar astronomy, and now the Pan-STARRS PS1 telescope, which is just beginning its work. The building is an important addition to the technology infrastructure on Maui."
"This new facility brings laboratory capabilities to Maui that we've never had before. It strengthens the already blossoming academic technical partnerships in astronomy," said Jeff Kuhn, Associate Director of the IfA for Maui.
"Maikalani," literally means "from the heavens" but also has the cultural meaning "things we gain from the cosmos."
The state-of-the-art ATRC includes laboratory workspace for microfabrication, advanced metrology and optical/infrared sensor development. The ATRC's provisions for optical testing with day or nighttime astronomical sources make this an ideal facility for remote sensing instrument development.
For more information: http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/specialevents/MauiOpenHouse2007.html
Founded in 1967, the Institute for Astronomy at the University of Hawaii at Manoa conducts research into galaxies, cosmology, stars, planets, and the sun. Its faculty and staff are also involved in astronomy education, deep space missions, and in the development and management of the observatories on Haleakala and Mauna Kea.
For more information, visit: http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/specialevents/MauiOpenHouse2007.html