Mauna Kea Observatories Open House
Wednesday, June 30, 2004 University Park
Slightly overcast skies brought a welcome reprieve from recent rains in Hilo, and set the stage for a very successful Mauna Kea Observatories Open House in University Park. The event preceded the Blessing and Dedication of the Mauna Kea Astronomy Education Center construction site, and featured exhibits from every observatory on the summit of Mauna Kea. Several educators and Hawaiian culture groups offered activities to groups of students from around East Hawaii Island. In all, about a thousand people attended.
Laura Kraft, Public Information Officer for Keck Observatory interacting with guests Bill Stormont, OMKM Director talking story with Cheryl Braunstein of MKAEC Physics is Phun exhibit with UHH Astronomy students and faculty
Charles Lockhart working the IRTF infrared portrait studio Shane Jacobson, NGST Research Associate demonstrates the properties of liquid nitrogen Alexandre Bouquin, "Black" AstroRanger and "Red" ranger Yusaku Yamashita, helping youngsters make comets
Student interns meet the public at Caltech Submillimeter Observatory Pascale Creek Pinner, science teacher at Hilo Intermediate School, with "Docking activity" Students hurry along to their next activity, with Kea'eloa canoe in the background
Kalepa Baybayan, navigator aboard the voyaging canoe Kea'eloa Cathy Iwaoka, Kaumana Elementary Title 1 Coordinator, with making impact craters
DC in the Morning and AG Germano of B97 Hawaii provided a live remote broadcast of the Open House event
Scale model of the solar system with a scale for people to find out what they would weigh Ka Haka Ula o Ke'elikolani, UHH College of Hawaiian Language program
Mark Chun showing KHON cameraman Hokupa'a-85, an adaptive optics instrument heading for Chile
Art and the Solar System, Kamehameha Elementary, Lisa Hall and Barbara Kuikahi Tony Matulonis and Kevin Cornwell giving tours of the Gemini Observation room
Discovering the Earth's Layers, with DeSilva Elementary's Terri Kuwahara and Ruby Hakoda Tom Whitney, IfA Director Rolf Kudritzki and Mauna Kea Ranger Kimo Pihana
Guests weighing themselves "on Pluto". Which planet would be best to go on a diet?
Rich Berner of the Visitor Information Station presenting telescope mirror grinding Dave Brennen (r) and members of the Hilo Astronomy Club presented solar viewing
Koa Ell and Moana Pihana opening the MKAEC ceremony
Suspicious character at the NASA Solar System Ambassador exhibit - June 30 was also the Saturn Orbit Insertion for the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft