Twenty-five years ago, the W.M. Keck Observatory opened the telescope dome, observing the heavens above Mauna Kea for the very first time and changing astronomical science forever.
Twenty-five years ago, the W.M. Keck Observatory opened the telescope dome, observing the heavens above Mauna Kea for the very first time and changing astronomical science forever.
On Tuesday, Nov. 24, Keck Observatory will celebrate this landmark anniversary of first light, commemorating the extraordinary impact made during the past 25 years and expressing gratitude to the community on Hawaii Island.
“Thanks to the pristine conditions on Mauna Kea and the incredible work and ongoing efforts of hundreds of Hawaii residents, Keck Observatory has become the pride of Hawaii, contributing more to humankind’s understanding of the universe than any other research facility on Earth,” said Hilton Lewis, member of the original project team and director of the W.M. Keck Observatory.
Throughout the past 25 years, teams of scientists using Keck Observatory have made thousands of groundbreaking discoveries, including:
• Becoming the first telescope to directly image planets orbiting another star.
• Determining 20 percent of sun-like stars in our galaxy have Earth-sized planets that could host life.
• Proving the existence of the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole.
• Observing the most distant (and the earliest) galaxies to be formed after the Big Bang.
• Discovering the expansion of the universe actually is accelerating and the subsequent revelation of a new mysterious force called Dark Energy.
Perhaps the biggest discovery is how much remains unknown.
“There are as many unanswered questions as ever, 25 years later,” Lewis said. “If anything, the mysteries are deeper. Each layer we pull back reveals more complexity.”
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of first light, Keck Observatory will host Hawaii Island school groups Tuesday at its base facility in Waimea.
Students will talk with Keck Observatory’s industry-leading astronomers and engineers about the feats of science and technology that make the telescopes so special, and visit activity stations for hands-on learning.
For more information about the W.M. Keck Observatory, visit www.keckobservatory.org.