W. M. Keck Observatory

08/26/2026

Join Staff Astronomer Preethi Krishnamoorthy and Adaptive Optics Scientist Avinash Surendran as they explain how W. M. Keck Observatory takes the twinkle out of stars at the Hawai'i Keiki Museum's upcoming Kona Science Cafe:

📅Thursday, August 27
⌚beginning at 5pm HST

This event is FREE and open to everyone.

Poets love twinkling stars. Astronomers… not so much. From early skywatchers to today’s giant mountaintop telescopes, humans have continually invented new ways to explore the universe. Embark on a light-filled adventure through the evolution of telescopes, clever mirrors, and the quest to ‘untwinkle’ the stars. Along the way, learn how every new way of looking has changed not only what we can see in the night sky, but the questions we can ask about it.

07/19/2026

Every night of science begins with caring for the place where it happens.

Meet James Chong and Ashley Hooks, members of Keck Observatory's Infrastructure team.

Every day, they help care for the facilities that supports world-leading astronomy. Their work reflects a commitment to service and stewardship, expressed through the care they bring to the observatory, their respect for ʻāina, and their connection to the communities that shape and sustain Hawaiʻi.

They help ensure the Observatory is ready to support astronomical research in one of the world's most unique environments. Their story is a reminder that behind every night of science are dedicated people whose care, skill, and perseverance help make discovery possible.

🎥 Created in partnership with By Confluence, a Hawaiʻi-based creative studio.

07/10/2026

Every night of science begins long before the sun sets.

It begins with people like Ellie O'Brien, whose care for this place—and for those around her—helps make each night of science possible.

As a mechanical engineer at W. M. Keck Observatory, Ellie is part of the team that cares for the facilities and systems that support world-leading astronomical research. Her story is a reminder that behind every observation are dedicated people whose commitment to service and stewardship makes our mission possible.

"I get to come here every day and look after this incredible facility alongside amazing people who care deeply about Maunakea and the science we do every night."

🎥 Created in partnership with Hawaiʻi-based By Confluence.

07/06/2026

Astronomers using W. M. Keck Observatory on Maunakea, Hawaiʻi Island, have helped confirm 21 of the most ancient quasars identified by the Euclid mission—including two of the most distant ever observed.

Quasars are among the brightest objects in the Universe, powered by supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies. Because their light has traveled for more than 13 billion years to reach Earth, they offer a rare glimpse into the Universe's infancy and the formation of the first galaxies and black holes.

“We see these quasars as they were during the Universe's infancy,” said Daming Yang, lead author of the study and graduate student at Universiteit Leiden / Leiden University.

Each newly confirmed quasar opens a new window into cosmic history, helping astronomers better understand how the earliest structures in the Universe formed and evolved.

🔗 Learn more:

Maunakea, Hawaiʻi – Astronomers using the W. M. Keck Observatory on Maunakea, Hawaiʻi Island, have confirmed two-thirds (21 of 31) of the most ancient quasars from the Euclid mission, including two of the most distant ever observed.

06/30/2026

Every discovery has a story.

At W. M. Keck Observatory, those stories are shaped by people and place.

In partnership with Hawaiʻi-based By Confluence, we've created two new films celebrating the people whose passion, expertise and dedication make discovery possible.

Through their own words, these films explore our team's connection to Maunakea and how working in such an extraordinary place inspires curiosity, community, service and stewardship.

🎥 Watch the trailer, and stay tuned later this week as we release both films.

06/25/2026

This summer, the W. M. Keck Observatory is proud to welcome two outstanding students, Edinn Kitagawa and Elizabeth Young, as participants in the renowned Akamai Workforce Initiative.

Through hands-on engineering projects embedded within active observatory systems, both interns are contributing to real-world solutions that support the Observatory's scientific mission while gaining invaluable technical experience.

The Akamai Workforce Initiative connects students from across Hawaiʻi with opportunities at leading observatories and STEM organizations, helping build a strong local workforce in science and engineering. With more than 500 alumni, many now working in STEM careers, and 64 interns hosted at Keck Observatory to date, the program continues to play a vital role in shaping Hawaiʻi’s future innovators.

“Our longstanding partnership with Akamai is one of the most consequential ways we invest in Hawaiʻi’s future,” said Ilihia Gionson, chief public affairs officer for the Observatory.

🔗 https://keckobservatory.org/2026-akamai-interns/

E komo mai, Edin and Elizabeth!

06/22/2026

Looking for a career that is out of this world?

The W. M. Keck Observatory 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 our mission of advancing the frontiers of astronomy while responsibly stewarding people and place.

Explore what the cosmos has to offer: https://keck.pinpointhq.com/

06/19/2026

A team of astronomers from Yale University using the W. M. Keck Observatory have discovered a third galaxy that appears to be missing dark matter, one of the fundamental building blocks thought to shape the universe.

The galaxy, known as DF9, joins two previously identified galaxies (DF2 and DF4) that stunned scientists for the same reason. All three lie along a narrow stretch of space and appear to share a common origin.

“These findings provide some of the clearest evidence yet that these galaxies formed together in a violent event that separated ordinary matter from dark matter,” said lead author Michael Keim.

Co-author Pieter van Dokkum added: “The finding provides compelling evidence that dark matter behaves as a physical substance rather than the effect of an alternative theory of gravity—particularly at the dwarf-galaxy scale, where those theories are most heavily debated.”

This discovery not only deepens the mystery of how galaxies form, but also brings us closer to understanding the true nature of dark matter itself.

https://keckobservatory.org/df9/

Maunakea, Hawaiʻi – Astronomers using W. M. Keck Observatory on Maunakea, Hawaiʻi Island, have discovered the third known galaxy apparently lacking dark matter, part of a strange linear structure that may have formed during a violent collision between galaxies.

06/10/2026

This summer marks an exciting milestone for W. M. Keck Observatory as we welcome the first participant in our new Kamaʻāina Pathways Internship Program: University of Hawaii at Manoa mechanical engineering student Jake K. Taylor.

Jake is no stranger to the Observatory. Last summer, he joined us as an Akamai Workforce Initiative intern, gaining hands-on experience and contributing to projects that support our mission. Now he's back as the inaugural Kamaʻāina Pathways intern, continuing his STEM journey right here in Hawaiʻi.

Created to help Hawaiʻi-rooted undergraduates gain professional experience, mentorship, and technical skills, the Kamaʻāina Pathways Internship Program is designed to support the next generation of local STEM leaders while strengthening a Hawaiʻi-grounded science and technology workforce.

We're excited to see what Jake accomplishes this summer and look forward to the impact this new program will have on students across the islands in the years to come.

Mahalo to the generous donor ʻohana whose support made the Kamaʻāina Pathways Internship Program possible. Their investment in local students is helping create new opportunities for Hawaiʻi's future scientists, engineers, and innovators.

Read more about this exciting new program and Jake's path 👇

https://keckobservatory.org/kamaaina-pathways/

05/20/2026

Congratulations to Alex Filippenko, UC Berkeley’s expert on supernovae and black holes, on receiving the 2026 Gruber Cosmology Prize. Filippenko shares this honor with fellow Keck observer Stanford E. Woosley of UC Santa Cruz and Ken'ichi Nomoto of the University of Tokyo.

The prize, one of the world’s most prestigious awards honoring research on the origin and fate of the universe, includes a $500,000 award to be shared equally among the three. Together, their trailblazing work connected stellar evolution, explosive nucleosynthesis, the origin of heavy elements, and the chemical evolution of the universe — advances that also helped establish supernovae as essential tools for precision cosmology.

W. M. Keck Observatory has played a leading role in Filippenko’s research over the years, particularly in observations that contributed to the groundbreaking discovery that the expansion of the universe is accelerating.

Ho'omaika'i to Alex, Stan,and Ken'ichi on this monumental achievement!


The Gruber Foundation UC Berkeley Santa Cruz The University of Tokyo / UTokyo

https://keckobservatory.org/2026-gruber-cosmology-prize/