Janice Harvey
AstroDay Hawai‘i 2018
Staff from all of the Maunakea observatories, including over a
dozen from Gemini, joined in the fun at Hilo’s Prince Kuhio Mall
on Saturday, May 5th, for AstroDay Hawai‘i on the Big Island.
As these AstroDay Hawai‘i
participants learned, you
can explore Gemini North
on a smart phone by
scanning the QR code for
Gemini’s virtual tour.
Credit: all photos by Joy
Pollard
Celebrated since 2002, Hawai‘i’s AstroDay is an annual event
organized by the Hilo office of the University of Hawai‘i In-
stitute for Astronomy. It coincides with an international
grass-roots movement of the same name that shares the
excitement of astronomy with local communities every
spring since 1973. While the parent event generally focuses
on nighttime stargazing, AstroDay Hawai‘i is offered for six
hours during the day, allowing it to incorporate more than
stargazing alone to capture the public’s attention and help
promote astronomy to our local community.
Despite a large earthquake the day before, this year’s As-
troDay Hawai‘i was well attended. AstroDay presenters in-
cluded volunteers from facilities on Maunakea, Maunaloa,
Haleakalā, and O‘ahu, as well as educators, students, com-
munity groups, and educational vendors. Over 30 science,
education, and community organizations also participated
in the festivities, creating a well-rounded and exciting day
for celebrating knowledge.
Attending families and individuals were able to look at the
Sun through telescopes with safe solar filters in the mall’s
parking lot and learn about our nearest star. Inside the
mall, booths were set up where guests could participate
July 2018
GeminiFocus
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