{"id":235179,"date":"2026-05-28T12:46:30","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T22:46:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=235179"},"modified":"2026-05-28T16:49:37","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T02:49:37","slug":"uh-astronomers-grant-teens-wish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2026\/05\/28\/uh-astronomers-grant-teens-wish\/","title":{"rendered":"UH<\/abbr> astronomers grant teen\u2019s wish on Haleakalā"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
\"Whirlpool
The Whirlpool Galaxy viewed by Ethan\u2019s family through a telescope on Haleakalā.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Astronomers from the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Institute for Astronomy<\/a> (IfA<\/abbr>) and engineers from Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO<\/abbr>) atop Haleakalā<\/span> helped make a 14-year-old Idaho boy\u2019s dream come true during a special visit to Maui\u2019s majestic summit.<\/p>\n

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From left, Mark Elphick, Ethan and Tyler Nakagawa in front of the Faulkes Telescope North.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“Visiting the telescope was amazing\u2014it was a once in a lifetime experience,” said Ethan, who traveled to Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> through Make-A-Wish Idaho with support from Make-A-Wish Hawaii after overcoming a serious blood disorder. “It was so cool to see how bright the stars were at the top of the mountain and to see how big space really is.”<\/p>\n

Ethan recently celebrated one year post-treatment after enduring a lengthy diagnosis period, a 49-day hospital stay, chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant. His wish was to visit observatories and see the telescopes atop Haleakalā<\/span> up close.<\/p>\n

Stargazing journey<\/h2>\n

His love for astronomy started while watching videos about black holes. During treatment, his grandparents gave him a telescope so he could stargaze from his hospital window. On the final day of treatment, Ethan celebrated by using the telescope from the hospital roof.<\/p>\n

IfA<\/abbr> astronomer J.D. Armstrong, who oversees UH<\/abbr>\u2019s outreach program mentoring Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> students in astronomy, escorted Ethan and his family to the summit alongside Mark Elphick and Tyler Nakagawa from LCO<\/abbr> on Haleakalā<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Haleakalā<\/span> visit<\/h2>\n
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Ethan and his family inside an observatory<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The family first toured IfA<\/abbr> Maui before heading up Haleakalā<\/span>, where Ethan and his family visited the LCO<\/abbr> facility. They used the eyepiece on the LCO<\/abbr> 2-meter Faulkes Telescope North to look at distant astronomical objects and helped program observations using other telescopes in the LCO<\/abbr> network. During the visit, the family also viewed a twin quasar located 8.7 billion light years away. A quasar is an extremely bright object powered by a giant black hole at the center of a galaxy.<\/p>\n

“It was really great to do something like this,” Armstrong said. “I get to share the summit with a family that appreciates it as much as I do.”<\/p>\n

Ethan\u2019s mother, Autumn, said the trip meant everything.<\/p>\n

“As a parent, watching your child go from sick and uninterested in a lot to thriving and learning and excited about life and new things is priceless.”<\/p>\n

Make-A-Wish<\/h2>\n

Make-A-Wish Hawaii assisted Make-A-Wish Idaho in granting Ethan\u2019s wish. All wishes to visit Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> are funded by the child\u2019s home chapter. All funds raised in Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> support local wish keiki.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

IfA<\/abbr> astronomers helped a Make-A-Wish boy\u2019s dream come true during a special visit to Maui\u2019s majestic summit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[34,35,9],"class_list":["post-235179","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-community","tag-astronomy","tag-institute-for-astronomy","tag-uh-manoa","entry","no-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