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Join us for UCSC CREST’s inaugural Shadow Indigenous Worlds session with Cherokee artist, Richard D. York, on October 12, 2026 from 9:00–10:00 AM PDT (11:00 AM–noon CDT = 1600–1700 GMT).

Richard is a nationally recognized Cherokee artist and citizen of the Cherokee Nation who lives in Sequoyah County within the Cherokee Nation Reservation. His multidisciplinary practice encompasses painting, photography, digital media, and the creation of traditional Native objects. Working in oil, acrylic, watercolor, and digital media, York explores contemporary artistic expression alongside the cultural knowledge and traditions of his Cherokee heritage. His traditional practice includes the making and study of drums, flutes, and shakers. Richard’s practice is grounded in Cherokee values of balance, reciprocity, stewardship, and respect for the sacredness of all beings. See Richard’s full bio attached below along with his artist statement.

During this Shadow Indigenous Worlds session, Richard will be leading a behind-the-scenes tour of Sequoyah’s Cabin Museum in Sallisaw, Oklahoma and showcasing his art and Native instruments he has built throughout the years.

REGISTRATION LINK IN THE BIO!

@ucsc @shadowthescientists_sts @rajathakurta by @shadowthescientists_sts

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7 days ago

🌌🔭 From the Classroom to the Control Room: A TeachAstro Night on the Gemini North Telescope ✨🚀

Date & Time:
🗓️ June 8 | 7:30 PM Hawaiʻi Standard Time
🌍 June 9 | 5:30 AM UTC

Ever wonder how astronomers decide what to observe on a real night at a world-class telescope?
Join us LIVE for a Shadow the Scientists session with the Gemini North telescope near the summit of Maunakea on the island of Hawaiʻi, with observations conducted remotely from the control room at the Hilo Base Facility.

For this observing night, the Gemini team will be joined in the control room by Hawaiian STEM teachers and educational professionals participating in the TeachAstro initiative, offering a unique look at how astronomy and education come together.
For this session, the observing team may use instruments including:
🔹GMOS: the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph
🔹GNIRS: the Gemini Near Infrared Spectrograph
🔹MAROON-X: An extreme precision radial velocity spectrograph used to help detect and characterize distant worlds
Together, these instruments give participants a glimpse into how astronomers collect data across multiple wavelengths and explore the universe in real time.
🔭 Learn more about Gemini North:
https://noirlab.edu/public/programs/gemini-observatory/

🔗 Register now through our link in bio:
https://ucsc.zoom.us/meeting/register/Ko8tXxyPSlmP4bMbwTBayg#/registration

@noirlabastro @geminiobs @ucsc @maunakeaobs #ShadowTheScientists #GeminiNorth #LiveAstronomy #SpaceExploration by @shadowthescientists_sts

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4 months ago

🪐Imaging Exoplanets with the SPIDERS Instrument at the Subaru Telescope 🔭✨

🗓️ May 22 | 9:00 PM Hawaiʻi Standard Time
🌍 May 23 | 7:00 AM UTC

Every year, astronomers discover new worlds beyond our solar system, from lava-covered planets to icy super-Earths, and all kinds of planets drifting through space alone. These discoveries continue to reshape our understanding of what planetary systems can look like and how our own solar system fits into the universe.

Join us LIVE for a Shadow the Scientists virtual observing session with the SPIDERS team at the Subaru Telescope on Maunakea in Hawaiʻi as they test a cutting-edge instrument designed to image exoplanets and retrieve spectra from distant planetary systems.

The Subaru Pathfinder Instrument for Detecting Exoplanets and Retrieving Spectra (SPIDERS), developed by the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Centre, could help astronomers capture planetary systems on scales similar to our own Solar System.

During this session, participants will:
🔹 Join the SPIDERS team live from the Subaru Telescope control room
🔹 Get a sneak peek at testing on targets that may host planetary companions

Come explore the next generation of exoplanet imaging technology with us! 🌌

🔭 Learn more about SPIDERS and NRC Herzberg:
https://nrc.canada.ca/en/research-development/research-collaboration/research-centres/herzberg-astronomy-astrophysics-research-centre

🔭 Learn more about the Subaru Telescope:
https://subarutelescope.org/en/

🔗 Register now:
https://ucsc.zoom.us/meeting/register/b7hxDKksTSGe6L75YBGFww#/

📸caption: A few members of the SPIDERS team at the Infrared Nasmyth platform of the Subaru Telescope, posing in front of the SPIDERS instrument. From left to right: Dr. Christian Marois, Dr. Adam Johnson, Dr. Garima Singh, Dr. William Thompson, and Dr. Olivier Lardière.

📸Credit: Dr. Julien Lozi

@subaru_telescope @nrc_cnrc @ucsc @maunakeaobs #ShadowTheScientists #SubaruTelescope #Exoplanets #Astronomy by @shadowthescientists_sts

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5 months ago

🌌🔭 Exploring the Universe with the Gemini North Telescope ✨🚀

Date & Time:
🗓️ May 6 | 7:30 PM Hawaiʻi Standard Time
🌍 May 7 | 5:30 AM UTC

Ever wonder how astronomers decide what to observe on a real night at a world-class telescope?
Join us LIVE for a Shadow the Scientists session with the Gemini North telescope near the summit of Maunakea on the island of Hawaiʻi, with observations conducted remotely from the control room at the Hilo Base Facility.
Unlike many previous StS sessions that featured “classical” observing, Gemini uses queue observing mode. This means Gemini staff observe on behalf of science teams from around the world, choosing what to observe based on on-the-ground conditions, sky conditions, and the scientific priorities for that night.
That means anything could be observed!
For this session, the observing team may use instruments including:
🔹 GMOS: the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph
🔹 GNIRS: the Gemini Near Infrared Spectrograph
🔹 IGRINS-2: the Immersion GRating INfrared Spectrograph 2
Together, these instruments give participants a glimpse into how astronomers collect data across multiple wavelengths and explore the universe in real time.

🔭 Learn more about Gemini North:
https://noirlab.edu/public/programs/gemini-observatory/
🔗 Register now:
https://ucsc.zoom.us/meeting/register/99G5tboNQ12MvA-TQNnb9A#/

@noirlabastro @geminiobs @ucsc @maunakeaobservatories #ShadowTheScientists #GeminiNorth #LiveAstronomy #SpaceExploration by @shadowthescientists_sts

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5 months ago

🔭🌌 In Case You Missed It: Mapping the Early Universe with Subaru’s ʻŌnohiʻula Prime Focus Spectrograph ✨🗺️

#InCaseYouMissedIt

In this Shadow the Scientists session, we joined the C3VO team and Subaru staff live from Hawai‘i for a behind-the-scenes look at how astronomers use Subaru’s powerful new ʻŌnohiʻula Prime Focus Spectrograph (PFS) to study some of the largest structures in the early universe, from 10 - 12.5 billion years ago.

Even though the weather kept the dome closed, the session still gave us an exciting inside look at how astronomers map galaxies in 3D and prepare to observe thousands of objects at once.

🔭 Highlights included:
🗺️ Cosmic cartography: how astronomers use redshift and spectroscopy to figure out where distant galaxies are in space
💥 Galaxy mergers: why researchers look for close galaxy pairs to understand how galaxies grow and evolve
🤖 2,400 fibers at once: we saw how PFS can collect spectra for thousands of targets simultaneously using tiny robotic fiber positioners
🎛️ Behind the scenes at Subaru: the team showed the control room screens, live weather monitoring, and how humidity and summit conditions affect observing

🎥 Watch the full session recording through the link in bio:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIbXQbCQUn0

Tags:
@ucsc @subaru_telescope @maunakeaobs
#ShadowTheScientists #SubaruTelescope #PFS #PrimeFocusSpectrograph by @shadowthescientists_sts

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7 months ago

🔭🪐 In Case You Missed It: Imaging Exoplanets with SCExAO at the Subaru Telescope ✨🌌

#InCaseYouMissedIt
Worlds like Tatooine are no longer science fiction! In this Shadow the Scientists session, we joined Dr. Garima Singh (SCExAO instrument scientist) and the SCExAO/Subaru team live from Hawai‘i to learn how astronomers work toward directly imaging exoplanets, and why it takes extreme precision to see something 10,000-100,000× fainter than its star.

🔭 Highlights included:
🌊 Why stars “twinkle”: How Earth’s atmosphere distorts starlight, similar to light rippling at the bottom of a swimming pool
🕶️ High-contrast techniques: once the star image is stable, the team explained how coronagraphy and processing helps pull out faint signals
🌈 CARIS data up close: we saw how this instrument captures imaging + spectroscopy at once, separating light into J / H / K bands
🧩 Polarimetry night: the team used polarization splitting (and a rotating wave plate) to help reveal faint structures like disks around stars

🎥 Watch the full session recording:
[link in bio]

Tags:
@ucsc @subarutelescope @maunakeaobs
#ShadowTheScientists #SubaruTelescope #SCExAO #Exoplanets AstronomyLive by @shadowthescientists_sts

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7 months ago

🌌🔭 Astronomy Night with the C3VO Team: Hunting Giants at the Edge of the Universe ✨

📅 March 11 | 7:00 PM HST
📅 March 12 | 5:00 AM UT

Have you ever wondered what the biggest structures in the early universe looked like when the cosmos was only 10-20% of its current age?

Join members of the Charting Cluster Construction with VUDS and ORELSE (C3VO) survey for a live observing night using Subaru’s ʻŌnohiʻula Prime Focus Spectrograph (PFS), a next-gen “galaxy mapper” designed to take spectra for tons of galaxies at once and help scientists map the early universe in 3D. 🌠🗺️

With the C3VO team and Subaru staff, we’ll explore:
✨ Cosmic cartography: mapping massive early-universe structures from ~10-12.5 billion years ago
💥 Galaxy interactions & mergers: how often they happen as galaxies fall into these enormous clusters
🕳️ Supermassive black holes: how mergers and environment may influence black hole activity (with help from radio/IR/X-ray data)

🎥 The session will be recorded for later viewing!

🔗 Register through link in bio or here: https://ucsc.zoom.us/meeting/register/yErHH_4-T_O4c530ClefOw#/registration

🔗 Learn more (links):
https://subarutelescope.org/en/subaru2/instrument/pfs/
https://www.orelsesurvey.com/c3vo.html
https://subarutelescope.org/en/subaru2/instrument/pfs/
https://subarutelescope.org/en/

@subaru_telescope

#ShadowTheScientists #SubaruTelescope #PrimeFocusSpectrograph #PFS by @shadowthescientists_sts

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7 months ago

🔭🪐 In Case You Missed It: Keck/MOSFIRE - Neptune’s Trojan asteroids + Earth’s orbit-sharing neighbors! ☄️✨
#InCaseYouMissedIt

What does it look like to hunt for ultra-faint solar system targets in real time? In our Feb. 6 session, we joined Bryce Bolin (Eureka Scientific) and Laura-May Abron (Griffith Observatory) LIVE from the Keck headquarters remote control room in Waimea (Kamuela), Hawaiʻi, as the team used Keck I + MOSFIRE to observe Neptunian Trojans (and discuss Earth co-orbitals), some of the most distant and dim objects we can track from the ground.

🔭 Highlights from the session included:
🌌 MOSFIRE in imaging mode: using a near-infrared spectrograph as an imager to detect extremely faint moving targets
🌡️ Why IR is different: the sky + instrument glow in the infrared, so the team used many short coadds and dithered frames to manage background
🧭 Finding the target: using asterisms + sky catalogs (and tools like Aladin) to match patterns and confirm what’s moving
🌀 Bonus cosmic cameos: multiple galaxies drifted into the field while everyone locked in on the asteroid hunt

🎥 Watch the full session here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4imJ5BsUGgs
Tags:
@ucsc @keckobservatory @griffithobservatory @maunakeaobs
#ShadowTheScientists #KeckObservatory #MOSFIRE #AstronomyLive by @shadowthescientists_sts

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7 months ago

🔭🪐 In Case You Missed It: Keck/MOSFIRE Triple Feature - Neptune’s “hidden” asteroids, an interstellar visitor, and Earth’s orbit-sharing neighbors! ☄️✨

#InCaseYouMissedIt

What does it look like to hunt for some of the faintest objects in the solar system in real time? In our recent Shadow the Scientists session, we joined Bryce Bolin (Eureka Scientific) and Laura-May Abron (Griffith Observatory) LIVE with the Keck team on Maunakea as they worked with Keck I + MOSFIRE to track distant targets, including Neptunian Trojans and other faint outer solar system bodies.

🔭 Highlights from the session included:
🌌 MOSFIRE as an imager: a near-infrared spectrograph used in imaging mode to chase extremely faint objects
🌡️ Why IR is different: observing in the infrared means fighting heat glow from the sky + instrument, so they take multiple dithered frames and build a sky background mask to subtract the glow
🧊 Surface “fingerprints” in infrared: near-IR photometry can hint at ices and chemistry
🔴 Why some Neptunian Trojans look red: “ultra-red” surfaces likely linked to complex organic materials
🌀 Bonus: a gorgeous spiral galaxy wandered into the field while everyone was focused on the asteroid hunt

🎥 Watch the full session here:
[link in bio] or
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beN6iC9SraI

Tags:
@brycedenyce314 @celestialmachines
@ucsc @keckobservatory @griffithobservatory @maunakeaobs
#ShadowTheScientists #KeckObservatory #MOSFIRE #AstronomyLive by @shadowthescientists_sts

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7 months ago

🌌🪐 Imaging Exoplanets with SCExAO at the Subaru Telescope 🔭✨

🔹 Feb 26 | 8:00 PM HST
🔹 Feb 27 | 6:00 AM UT

We live in an era where worlds like Tatooine, the iconic twin-sun planet from Star Wars, have leapt from science fiction into modern astrophysics.

These distant worlds orbiting stars beyond our Sun are called exoplanets, and at the Subaru Telescope, a powerful instrument called the Subaru Coronagraphic Extreme Adaptive Optics (SCExAO) makes it possible to directly image them by:
✨ using adaptive optics to sharpen the view through Earth’s atmosphere
🕶️ using coronagraphy to block out overwhelming starlight
👀 revealing the faint glow of planets orbiting faraway stars

This session will offer a sneak peek into SCExAO observations of an extrasolar world captured by the Subaru Telescope. Even if an exoplanet isn’t visible in the raw images during this observation, we’ll break down the methods behind these observations, similar to those used by the James Webb Space Telescope in space. 🚀

🔗 Register now: [Link in bio]
🎥 This session will be recorded!

📷Caption: Dr. Garima Singh in front of the SCExAO instrument at the Subaru Summit facility.
📷Credit: Arnaud Salvador

Tags: @subaru_telescope @maunakeaobs
#ShadowTheScientists #SubaruTelescope #SCExAO #Exoplanets #DirectImaging AdaptiveOptics Coronagraphy AstronomyLive Maunakea SpaceScience STEMeducation Astrophysics JamesWebbSpaceTelescope by @shadowthescientists_sts

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8 months ago

#womeninscience The observing team will be using the Gemini North telescope located near the summit of Maunakea on the island of Hawai`i, with the observations taking place remotely from the control room in the Hilo Base Facility.

We especially welcome new users to Gemini-N in the 25B semester to watch nighttime operations, though we invite anyone using Gemini in 25B to join.

Participants will also be able to learn how the queue is planned, learn about our Observing Tool, learn about the Phase II process, and ask questions of the staff.

@geminiobs @maunakeaobs #womeninscience by @shadowthescientists_sts

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8 months ago

#womeninscience Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) monitors earthquakes and the active volcanoes in Hawaii, assesses their hazards, issues warnings, and advances scientific understanding to reduce the impacts of volcanic eruptions. Communicating the results of their work to the public, emergency managers, and the scientific community is an important aspect of the HVO mission.

@usgsvolcanoes @ucsc #womeninscience by @shadowthescientists_sts

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8 months ago