Research Corporation of the University of Hawaiʻi - RCUH

04/21/2026

04/15/2026

03/12/2026

03/06/2026

Experience the World's Most Powerful Instrument for Galaxy Exploration with Shadow the Scientists!

Join our "Shadow the Scientists" session and watch real-time observations with ʻŌnohiʻula PFS on the Subaru Telescope as astronomers collect spectra from distant galaxies!

Date & Time:
Wednesday March 11, 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. (HST; Hawai‘i Standard Time)
Thursday, March 12, 5:00 a.m. – 7:00 a.m. (UTC; Coordinated Universal Time)
Thursday, March 12, 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (JST; Japan Standard Time)

Language: English

* Advance registration is required to participate in this Zoom session.

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About Shadow the Scientists

Shadow the Scientists (StS) is a program that connects the public to professional scientists in various scientific disciplines, including connections to professional astronomers through observing experiences with world-class telescopes.

This program was launched in 2020 during the COVID pandemic by a researcher at the University of California, Santa Cruz, in collaboration with ‘Ohana Kilo Hoku, a native Hawaiian non-profit organization supporting astronomy and space programs, and other partners. Through the program, researchers invite members of the public to remotely experience observations with the Subaru, Keck, and Gemini North Telescopes near the summit of Maunakea, Hawai‘i, the Lick Observatory in California, and many other telescopes around the world.
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The ʻŌnohiʻula Prime Focus Spectrograph (PFS) is a wide-field, multi-object spectrograph installed on the Subaru Telescope that began full science operations in March 2025. This instrument can observe approximately 2,400 celestial objects at the same time across a wide field of view. It breaks down the light of each object into a rainbow extending well past the range of human vision, i.e., from the visible to near-infrared light. ʻŌnohiʻula PFS is one of the world’s most powerful tools for capturing and analyzing light from numerous distant objects simultaneously, making it an exceptional instrument for exploring and characterizing large numbers of distant galaxies.

Subaru Telescope staff will also present how the ʻŌnohiʻula PFS was developed, demonstrate how the instrument is operated, and share the meaning of its Hawaiian name, ʻŌnohiʻula.

In addition to watching world-class astronomical observations, participants will have the opportunity to listen to short talks by astronomers, scientists, and telescope operators, and to ask questions during the session. Why not join the StS sessions to remotely experience observations with the Subaru Telescope and to meet and talk with astronomers?

02/26/2026

This week is National Invasive Species Week, dedicated to raising awareness about invasive species, their threats, and prevention.

Invasive species negatively impact Hawai'i's native plants and animals, watersheds, agriculture, economy, and way of life. Your action and awareness is essential!

Please continue to report suspected CRB, stinging ants, coqui frogs in new areas, and anything that seems out of place. Mahalo to the Maui community for being proactive!

Spread the word, not the pest.

02/25/2026

Join us this Thursday (2/26) at Urban Garden Center for a CRB workshop! We will be hosting 2 sessions. First session will begin at 2pm and the second session will begin at 3pm. This workshop is open to the p***c. Registration for the event is encouraged but not required. Hope to see you there!

02/21/2026

2025: Hawaiʻi’s Second Driest Year in Over a Century 📉☀️

The data is in, and it’s a wake-up call for our islands. According to the Hawaiʻi Climate Data Portal’s first annual report, 2025 was the second driest year for Hawaiʻi in over 100 years.

Key Takeaways:

🏜️ Roughly half the state experienced drought conditions.

🌡️ Average temperatures were up to a degree higher than normal.

📊 4 out of the 5 driest years on record have occurred in just the last decade.

Thanks to the new Hawaiʻi Mesonet—a network of 100 climate stations—local researchers now have high-quality data in places where it never existed before. As federal data sources become less reliable, this local effort is critical to our state’s resiliency and understanding our changing climate.

Read the full report via Hawaiʻi Public Radio: https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/local-news/2026-02-19/hawaii-records-its-second-driest-year-in-over-a-century

02/20/2026

Researchers are calling for a new generation of carefully designed ocean iron fertilization field trials.

02/19/2026

Got Albizia?
Known to be one of the fastest growing trees in the world, Albizia quickly outcompetes our native plant species, negatively impacting the soil and damaging entire forest ecosystems. These trees are notorious for their habit of dropping massive branches, posing a hazard to homes, roads, power lines and other vital infrastructure - which we’ve recently seen during last Sunday’s wind storm!

Want to learn how to recognize and control Albizia?
Join us for our upcoming RAD (Rapid Albizia Death) Workshop ~
On February 28th, we’re teaming up with our friends at Hakuhia to share all about the impacts of this aggressive, invasive tree, and the best practices for its removal. We’ll also be putting our skills to the test by treating Albizia on the grounds of the former Koʻolau Golf Course!

Where: 45-550 Kionaole Road
When: Saturday, February 28th 9 AM - 11:30 AM

To RSVP, please visit our Events Calendar - linked here:
https://tockify.com/e/kmwpvolunteerevents/agenda

KMWP’s Rapid Albizia Death (RAD) Program works to empower people to take control of albizia and protect their communities through education and service-learning.

02/18/2026

02/04/2026

Join the astronomy talk by Dr. Richard Isaacman, a retired NASA astronomer and program manager, on February 7 and 28 at Paleaku Peace Gardens, Captain Cook.
Learn more at the Paleaku Gardens website:
https://www.paleaku.com/events/