Astronomy

The Conversation spoke to John De Fries, executive director of the Maunakea Stewardship and Oversight Authority, about the National Science Foundation's cuts to the proposed Thirty Meter Telescope on Maunakea.

The National Science Foundation's decision to cut funds for the Thirty Meter Telescope planned for Maunakea on Hawaiʻi Island is a setback for the project. The Conversation talked to Hawaiʻi County Mayor Kimo Alameda and two community members about their reactions to the latest development.

The Thirty Meter Telescope planned for Maunakea on Hawaiʻi Island has an uncertain future due to a decision to direct limited funds toward the development of a project in Chile.

A global contest to name a space rock orbiting Earth concluded Monday — and a student and teacher at Oʻahu's Castle High School played a key role in the deliberation. The Conversation spoke to specia education teacher Maya Sullivan and student Haliʻa Tom-Jardine about the experience.

The Conversation wanted to take a closer look at the recent removal of the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory from Maunakea. We spoke with Gregory Chun and Nahua Guilloz from the UH Hilo Center for Maunakea Stewardship.

The first telescope to be decommissioned from Maunakea, the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory, has been completely removed — and the site has been restored.

The National Science Foundation has until September to decide on advancing the Thirty Meter Telescope to the final design stage. The TMT is competing against a telescope project in Chile for limited NSF funding.

Solar winds, magnetic fields and coronal mass ejections — how hot are they? Such is the world of Shadia Habbal from the University of Hawaiʻi Institute for Astronomy. She is en route to Arkansas for the best viewing of the total solar eclipse on April 8.

Funding for the Thirty Meter Telescope may be in jeopardy following a decision by the National Science Foundation board to place a $1.6 billion budget cap on giant telescope projects.

John De Fries, the former president and CEO of the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority, was chosen from a pool of nine candidates as the new executive director of the Maunakea Stewardship and Oversight Authority. He will help guide a critical transition period as the authority takes over the management of Maunakea from the University of Hawaiʻi. HPR's Kuʻuwehi Hiraishi has more.