{"id":233666,"date":"2026-05-05T15:48:46","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T01:48:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=233666"},"modified":"2026-05-05T20:01:21","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T06:01:21","slug":"24th-astroday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2026\/05\/05\/24th-astroday\/","title":{"rendered":"24th AstroDay sparks keiki science dreams"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> < 1<\/span> minute<\/span><\/span>
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The event featured robotics and live science activities.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Faculty, staff and students from the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Institute for Astronomy helped power AstroDay 2026, the Maunakea Observatories\u2019s 24th annual free community science festival held May 2 at Prince K\u016bhi\u014d Plaza in Hilo. More than 30 organizations came together to offer hands-on astronomy, robotics and live science activities for Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Island families.<\/p>\n

“AstroDay is one of my favorite days of the year because it belongs to everyone. This is our chance to bring world-class science into the heart of our community and inspire the next generation of scientists, explorers, and dreamers,” said Carolyn Kaichi, education and outreach specialist at IfA<\/abbr>. “We do this especially for the keiki who may one day carry that legacy forward. Mahalo to every family on the island that came out to join us.”<\/p>\n

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Attendees packed the mid-mall stage for live science shows.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Attendees packed the mid-mall stage for live science shows and award presentations, then made their way booth to booth collecting AstroDay coins for a shot at prizes like telescopes and skateboards.<\/p>\n

A major draw was the return of the “Robot Rumble,” presented by the Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Science and Technology Museum, where 15 teams from across Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Island faced off in head-to-head matches. Local high schools also showcased their own robotics projects, highlighting the island\u2019s growing pipeline of STEM<\/abbr> talent.<\/p>\n

The event also marked the announcement of the 2026 Maunakea Coin Contest winners. The statewide graphic design competition invites Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Island students in grades K–12 to compete for prizes and the chance to have their artwork featured on official AstroDay collector coins.<\/p>\n

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More than 30 organizations offered hands-on activities for Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Island families.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

More than 30 organizations came together to offer hands-on astronomy, robotics and live science activities for Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Island families.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":233669,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[34,35,9],"class_list":["post-233666","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-news","tag-astronomy","tag-institute-for-astronomy","tag-uh-manoa","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t