Astronomers using the have taken a major step in understanding the distant planet Uranus. By combining data from Keck Observatory with the Hubble Space Telescope and James Webb Space Telescope, researchers created the first complete picture of how light reflects off Uranus’s faint outer rings.

The results reveal two very different stories. One ring appears to be made of tiny grains of water ice, likely chipped off a small moon. The other is darker and rocky, mixed with carbon-rich material. Together, they show how collisions and impacts continue to shape the planet’s ring system.

The findings offer new clues about how planets and their moons form and change throughout time.

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University of �鶹��ý President Emeritus David Lassner and his team—including Vice President for Information Technology Garret Yoshimi and Director for Network Infrastructure Chris Zane—have been awarded the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California . The award recognizes more than 35 years of visionary leadership in connecting �鶹��ý and the broader Pacific to the global research community.

Transforming science, education

Since establishing the first international internet connection to Australia via �鶹��ý in 1989, the UH team has fundamentally transformed global science and education. Their efforts in securing high-capacity networking for the premier astronomical observatories on Maunakea and Haleakalā have supported over $1 billion in scientific investment. The data transmitted through these connections contributed directly to two Nobel Prizes in Physics, including discoveries regarding the accelerating expansion of the universe and supermassive black holes.

Beyond these technical milestones, the UH team’s work is deeply rooted in a commitment to Pacific Island communities. By expanding ultra-high bandwidth networks, they have ensured that remote islands on the front lines of climate change have equal access to vital global research resources.

“The University of �鶹��ý‘s geographic position in the middle of the Pacific is only part of the story; what truly makes today’s Pacific Wave (a high-capacity network) connectivity possible is the people,” said Jonah Keough, managing director of Pacific Wave. “David, Garret and Chris understand that networks are built on relationships as much as fiber.”

Connecting through fiber, light

Lassner has compared this modern digital connectivity to traditional Polynesian wayfinding. Having sailed aboard ��ō��ū����ʻ��’s Worldwide Voyage, Lassner noted that just as navigators connected Pacific peoples using stars, UH is connecting them through fiber and light.

“To me, that’s what the World Wide Voyage and mālama honua (to care for our Earth) stand for—sustainability, Indigenous-serving education, research and our service to the community,” Lassner said. “It’s an incredible opportunity to do exactly what the University of �鶹��ý is supposed to be doing.”

The award will be formally presented at CENIC’s “The Right Connection” conference in Monterey, California, March 31–April 1, 2026.

AstroDay West 2025 brought a wave of excitement to Kona Commons as crowds gathered around science booths, telescopes and live demonstrations. The University of �鶹��ý (IfA) joined partners across the island to offer a day of engaging ways to explore the universe at the annual event hosted by .

The day-long celebration offered family-friendly learning, free giveaways and simple science experiments designed to spark curiosity. Organizers said the goal was to make astronomy feel approachable for everyone.

“We were excited to provide keiki and families with the opportunity to learn more about science and astronomy right here in Kona,” said Carolyn Kaichi, education and outreach specialist at IfA. “Through hands-on learning and key partnerships with organizations across the island, we hoped to inspire the next generation of local science and technology leaders.”

Sun, sky and science

Visitors lined up to use a special solar telescope to safely view details on the sun’s surface. Nearby booths showed how stars form, how weather shapes our islands and how scientists observe the sky from �鶹��ý’s mountaintops. IfA staff and students answered questions, guided activities and shared stories about their work.

AstroDay has long been a staple for families interested in science with a mission to strengthen public understanding of astronomy and create more opportunities for learning.

The event also featured displays and expertise from a wide range of partners, such as Las Cumbres Observatory, W. M. Keck Observatory, Gemini Observatory, Subaru Telescope, Canada-France-�鶹��ý Telescope, TMT International Observatory, NASA Solar System Ambassadors and the UH Hilo .

A new chapter in automated astronomy has begun on Maunakea. The University of �鶹��ý (IfA) has launched initial science operations for , a robotic laser adaptive optics system now operating at the . The milestone marks a major leap in how astronomers observe the night sky.

Robo-AO-2 is designed to correct the blur caused by Earth’s atmosphere, sharpening images of hundreds of objects each night with minimal human oversight. The system is led by astronomer Christoph Baranec, who has spent years advancing adaptive optics technology at IfA.

“Making Robo-AO-2 operational represents years of dedicated engineering and innovation,” said Baranec, a member of IfA’s robotic adaptive optics program. “This system demonstrates how University of �鶹��ý facilities continue to pioneer technologies that eventually make their way to the world’s largest telescopes and space missions.”

Hunting for habitable worlds

One of the first researchers to use the system is graduate student Guillaume Huber. He is conducting observations for NASA’s future , which will search for signs of life on planets around nearby stars. Huber is vetting a catalog of nearby stars that could host Earth-like planets.

“The Habitable Worlds Observatory will search for signs of life on planets orbiting other stars, but first we need to ensure those target stars don’t have close stellar companions,” Huber said. “Robo-AO-2’s ability to rapidly survey hundreds of targets makes it uniquely suited for this preparatory work.”

Advancing automation

New funding is driving the system even further. This year, the National Science Foundation and the Mt. Cuba Astronomical Foundation awarded $679,075 to fully automate Robo-AO-2. The NSF award will also support testing a new adaptive secondary mirror for the UH 2.2-meter telescope, led by IfA astronomer Mark Chun. This technology could significantly improve image quality for future ground-based observatories.

“The adaptive secondary mirror will allow us to correct atmospheric turbulence directly at the telescope’s secondary mirror,” Baranec said. “Robo-AO-2 will play a crucial role in testing and validating this technology.”

Training the next generation

For IfA, the project is also about training. Students gain rare hands-on experience with real instruments at the university’s own facilities. The UH 2.2-meter telescope serves as a crucial testbed where new instruments and techniques can be developed before deployment on larger facilities.

“Students are not just operating instruments—they’re helping to build and improve them,” Baranec said. “Those skills are invaluable for careers in astronomy and engineering.”

High atop Maunakea, employees from the University of �鶹��ý at Hilo are part of the dedicated team keeping observatory operations running smoothly, from clearing roads to public safety and supporting scientists at 14,000 feet.

Their behind-the-scenes efforts make it possible to advance world-class astronomy all while caring for the mountain’s cultural and natural resources.

A groundbreaking new instrument that lets astronomers see deeper into space than ever before using a single telescope was brought to life with help from a University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� faculty member. Installed on the atop Maunakea, the first-of-its-kind device set a new benchmark for how scientists study distant stars and planets.

The instrument, called a photonic lantern, separates starlight into multiple channels, like breaking a musical chord into individual notes, allowing computers to rebuild an ultra-clear image. It’s part of a new instrument called FIRST-PL, developed and led by UH and the Paris Observatory, and installed on the advanced optics platform (Subaru Coronagraphic Extreme Adaptive Optics) at .

“What excites me most is that this instrument blends cutting-edge photonics with the precision engineering done here in �鶹��ý,” said Sébastien Vievard, a faculty member from the UH Space Science and Engineering Initiative (SSEI) a joint program of the UH ����ԴDz� and . “It shows how collaboration across the world, and across disciplines, can literally change the way we see the cosmos.”

Sharper cosmic views

The breakthrough, published in , used the new setup to study a nearby star called beta Canis Minoris and revealed that its fast-spinning gas disk is unexpectedly lopsided, a detail never seen until now.

“This device splits the starlight according to its patterns of fluctuation, keeping subtle details that are otherwise lost. By reassembling the measurements of the outputs, we could reconstruct a very high-resolution image of a disk around a nearby star,” said Yoo Jung Kim, a graduate student at UCLA, and lead author on the study.

The international team included researchers from UH, UCLA, the Paris Observatory, the University of Sydney and Subaru Telescope.

�鶹��ý’s space future

The achievement marks a milestone for UH’s new Space Science and Engineering Initiative, which launched its first engineering courses at UH Hilo in fall 2024. The initiative aims to position �鶹��ý as a global hub for space research, technology development, and workforce training. Vievard, one of the program’s founding faculty members, is helping to lead this new academic path that blends classroom learning with hands-on engineering experience.

The University of �鶹��ý Board of Regents approved the creation of a permitted interaction group at its September 18 meeting to examine possible changes to the UH System’s leadership structures, which oversee the 10 campuses statewide. The decision came after a presentation by UH President Wendy Hensel outlining the opportunities and challenges of restructuring the 10-campus system.

The options under consideration include separating �鶹��ý����ԴDz� leadership from the UH System, as the UH President currently oversees both the system and non-academic functions at UH ����ԴDz�, and integrating the community colleges more fully with the other three four-year campuses under systemwide administration.

The State of �鶹��ý’s Sunshine Law governing open public meetings allows a public board to appoint a group consisting of less than a quorum of its members to investigate matters for the board. After the group undertakes its assigned task, its findings and recommendations must be presented to the board at a public meeting, and the board cannot act on any recommendations until a subsequent public meeting.

The regents appointed to the group are Vice Chair Mike Miyahira, Vice Chair Joshua Faumuina, Regent Neil Abercrombie, Regent Diane Paloma, and Regent Laurie Tochiki.

Maunakea permitted interaction group

In August, the regents approved another permitted interaction group to investigate the status of the transition of Maunakea stewardship from UH to the Mauna Kea Stewardship and Oversight Authority, by July 1, 2028, pursuant to Act 255 (2021). The members of that group are Vice Chair Miyahira, Regent Wayne Higaki, Chair Gabe Lee, Regent Abercrombie and Regent Lauren Akitake.

The University of �鶹��ý at Hilo (CMS) is advancing environmental stewardship on the mauna by replacing underground fuel storage tanks (USTs) at Halepōhaku, the mid-level facilities, with a modern system. A draft Environmental Assessment (EA) is being prepared under the oversight of the Maunakea Joint Management Committee, a partnership between CMS and the Mauna Kea Stewardship Oversight Authority (MKSOA).

UH is removing the USTs to meet a 2028 state regulatory deadline (�鶹��ý Administrative Rules Chapter 11-280.1-21). Under the state rule, any tanks built before August 9, 2013, must be upgraded with extra safety protection by July 15, 2028. If they are not upgraded by then, they must be permanently shut down.

The project would replace three underground fuel tanks and buried fuel lines with two smaller, above-ground double-wall tanks. The new tanks would sit on a concrete pad with built-in pumps and a containment berm. This reduces the facility footprint from about 1,945 square feet to 322 square feet and lowers fuel storage capacity from 18,000 gallons to 6,000 gallons.

Fuel stored at Halepōhaku is vital for snow plows and heavy machinery that keep Maunakea’s roads clear and safe. Reliable access supports public safety, cultural practitioners and observatory staff. Storing fuel on the mauna also reduces emissions by limiting the number of trips needed to haul fuel up the mountain.

“Fuel storage is critical for keeping Maunakea’s roads safe and accessible during weather events and natural disasters,” said Greg Chun, executive director of CMS. “Following publication of the draft EA, we look forward to gathering public input so this project reflects both essential needs and our shared commitment to stewardship.”

Initial outreach efforts

CMS has hired Sustainable Resources Group International, Inc. to prepare the draft EA. The environmental consulting firm is assessing the project site, studying potential impacts, and conducting a Ka Paʻakai analysis. As part of this work, it is reaching out to stakeholder agencies and individuals with knowledge of Native Hawaiian traditional and customary practices connected to the area.

The project area is in a previously disturbed utilities yard and is not known to be used by cultural practitioners or visitors. One māmane tree will be removed, though 40 new trees have already been planted nearby as part of restoration efforts. No historic sites will be directly affected. An archaeological monitor will be present during ground work.

“True stewardship of Maunakea requires laulima, working together with the community,” said John De Fries, executive director of MKSOA. “As this process advances, there will be opportunities for manaʻo from the public to help guide this project with respect and responsibility.”

When the draft EA is published in the �鶹��ý Office of Planning and Sustainable Development’s Environmental Notice, the public will have 30 days to provide comments. Community members, cultural practitioners, and other stakeholders are invited to share their perspectives to help shape the final decisions. All feedback will be reviewed by the project team, and adjustments to the Proposed Action may be made based on the input received.

Scientists using the on Maunakea have discovered a new celestial object that could provide groundbreaking insight into the earliest days of our Solar System. The object, officially named 2023 KQ14 and nicknamed “Ammonite” by the research team, is believed to be a preserved relic or “fossil” from the Solar System’s infancy.

The discovery recently published in is part of the FOSSIL project (Formation of the Outer Solar System: An Icy Legacy), an international effort led by researchers in Japan and Taiwan. Using Subaru Telescope’s powerful wide-field Hyper Suprime-Cam, the team identified Ammonite in a distant, stable orbit far beyond Neptune, an area that has remained largely untouched since the Solar System’s formation more than 4.5 billion years ago.

“This find pushes the boundaries of what we know about the outer Solar System,” said Fumi Yoshida, principal investigator of the FOSSIL project. “Ammonite’s orbit and location suggest something extraordinary occurred in our cosmic past, and we’re just beginning to piece the story together.”

Unusual orbit confirmed

Follow-up observations using the (CFHT) on Maunakea, confirmed the object’s unusual orbit. Archival data from telescopes in Chile and Arizona helped track Ammonite’s motion across nearly two decades, revealing a remarkably stable path that makes it distinct from other known distant objects.

According to researchers, what makes this discovery especially exciting is its implications for the still-unproven Planet Nine theory which is a hypothesized large planet far beyond Pluto. Ammonite’s differing orbit challenges existing models and may force scientists to rethink their understanding of the Solar System’s outermost reaches.

“This kind of discovery shows just how important �鶹��ý’s telescopes are to global science,” said Kumiko Usuda-Sato, outreach specialist at Subaru Telescope. “We mahalo the community for allowing us to continue exploring the cosmos from Maunakea, a place of deep cultural and natural significance.”

Ammonite is part of a rare group of celestial bodies known as Sedna-like objects—distant icy worlds with orbits that carry them far beyond Neptune. These objects are defined by their extremely distant perihelion, or closest point to the Sun. Until now, only three such objects had been identified.