Keck – Page 39 – A Darker View

An Evening with Astronomers

A quandry… Our regular astronomy club meeting was the same night as Keck’s evening with astronomers lecture. These invitation events are presented to donors, featuring a lecture from a professional astronomer beneath the palm trees of the Fairmont Orchid resort. A number of our members go to both events and faced a choice of which event to attend.

A solution was proposed… Cancel the club meeting in Waimea and head for the lecture down at the resort instead. To cap the evening we would bring along a few telescopes to share the sky.

The club setup five telescope ranging from Purrcynth’s 80mm refractor to Cliff’s 24″ Dobsonian. It was an impressive line of telescopes. I setup next to Maureen with her new 10″ SCT, a nice match for the 11″ NexStar I use for public work. Arriving before the guests we had a line of telescopes setup and ready for viewing well before dark. As Venus and Jupiter appeared in the sunset we began providing views to the early arriving guests.

Maureen sharing her telescope with guests at Keck's Evening with Astronomers

The lecture was presented by Dr. Chris Martin of Caltech, covering a subject that is often overlooked, the environment between the galaxies, vast expanses of space that are anything but empty. Here can be found enormous reservoirs of gas, accounting for the majority of normal matter in the universe, something astronomers call the intergalactic medium.

I enjoyed the lecture. Having a somewhat more than average astronomy education, I find so many public lectures a bit repetitive, I have heard it before. Not this night! Dr. Martin covered a lot of material I had never previously encountered. How the universe is filled with streamers of moving gas, influenced by the gravity of dark matter the gas streams into the galaxies and clusters of galaxies, allowing the formation of new stars in an extraordinarily dynamic process. It was a view that has altered the way I see the universe.

Continue reading “An Evening with Astronomers”

First Light of Powerful New MOSFIRE Instrument

W. M. Keck Observatory press release…

Engineers and astronomers are celebrating the much anticipated first light and first two nights commissioning of the MOSFIRE instrument, now installed on the Keck I telescope at W. M. Keck Observatory. MOSFIRE (Multi-Object Spectrometer For Infra-Red Exploration) will vastly increase the data gathering power of what is already the world’s most productive ground-based observatory.

“This is a near-infrared multi-object spectrograph, similar to our popular LRIS and DEIMOS instruments, only at longer wavelengths,” explained Keck Observatory Observing Support Manager Bob Goodrich. “The dedicated MOSFIRE project team members at Keck Observatory, Caltech, UCLA, and UC Santa Cruz are to be congratulated, as are the dedicated observatory operations staff who worked hard to get MOSFIRE integrated into the Keck I telescope and infrastructure. A lot of people have put in long hours getting ready for this momentous First Light.”

First light with MOSFIRE, and unprocessed image of the interacting galaxies NGC4038 and NGC4039, credit: W. M. Keck Observatory

The first unprocessed image from MOSFIRE was made on the night of April 4, despite thick cirrus clouds over Mauna Kea. The subject was two interacting galaxies known as The Antennae. Additional images adn spectra were gathered on the night of April 5, as part of the continuing commissioning of the instrument.

MOSFIRE gathers spectra, which contain chemical signatures in the light of everything from stars to galaxies, at near-infrared wavelengths (that is, 0.97-2.45 microns, or millionths of a meter). Infrared is light which is beyond red in a rainbow—just beyond what human eyes can detect. Observing in the infrared allows researchers to penetrate cosmic dust clouds and see objects that are otherwise invisible, like the stars circling the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way. It also allows for the study of the most distant objects, the light of which has been stretched beyond the red end of the spectrum by the expansion of the universe.

Continue reading “First Light of Powerful New MOSFIRE Instrument”

Keck Lecture Webcast Link

Here is the stream for tonight’s Keck lecture. Nothing to see if you stop by early (or late). Come by at 7:00pm HST to see Dr. Richard Wainscoat of the University of Hawai’i Institute for Astronomy, “City Dark: Search for Night on a Sleepless Planet.”

Better yet… drop by the Kahilu Theater in Waimea to see the talk in person.

Live broadcasting by Ustream

Reminder- Keck Lecture Tomorrow Night

You are invited to attend a free Keck Observatory lecture…

Earth at Night — A view of the Earth compiled from nighttime shots from the DMSP satellites during October 1994 to March 1995. Image credit NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

City Dark: Search for Night on a Sleepless Planet
Dr. Richard Wainscoat
University of Hawai’i Institute for Astronomy

Kahilu Theater
Thursday, April 5th, 2012
7:00pm

The advent and spread of electrical lighting has made it ever harder to find the dark skies valued by professional and amateur astronomers, not to mention lovers of starry skies in general. Dr. Wainscoat tells the story about light pollution and astronomy, with special emphasis on light pollution’s effects on the world’s best astronomical observing site: Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawai’i. Dr. Wainscoast is an astronomer as well as an accomplished photographer.

There is no charge for admission to any events in the Makana series.

Presented by W.M. Keck Observatory.

Recycling Galaxies Caught in the Act

W. M. Keck Observatory press release…

When astronomers add up all the gas and dust contained in ordinary galaxies like our own Milky Way, they stumble on a puzzle: There is not nearly enough matter for stars to be born at the rates that are observed. Part of the solution might be a recycling of matter on gigantic scales – veritable galactic fountains of matter flowing out and then back into galaxies over multi-billion-year timescales.

Now, a team of astronomers led by Kate Rubin of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany has used the W. M. Keck Observatory to find evidence of just such fountains in distant spiral galaxies.

In the Milky Way, it’s estimated that every year about one solar mass (an amount of matter equal to that of our Sun) worth of dust and gas is turned into stars. Yet a survey of the available raw materials shows that our galaxy could not keep up this rate of star formation for longer than a couple of billion years. Star ages and comparisons with other spiral galaxies show that one solar mass per year is a typical star formation rate. So the puzzle appears to be universal.

Continue reading “Recycling Galaxies Caught in the Act”

Employment Opportunity at Keck – Network Manager

Computer and Network Systems Manager

The W.M. Keck observatory operates two of the largest and most scientifically productive optical/infrared telescopes in the world. The twin 10-meter telescopes are located amidst several other world class observatories on the summit of Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii, one of the premier sites for astronomy.

The observatory seeks an experienced computer systems administrator manager to lead a talented team of technical professionals responsible for the computer and network systems at the observatory. The networked computing environment is distributed over multiple locations and includes well over one hundred Unix nodes, several hundred Windows desktops, tens of Windows servers, and extensive video conferencing. Unix systems are primarily used for controlling the twin telescopes and science operations while the Windows systems are primarily used for office, administration and engineering functions. Desired competencies include: proven computer and networking skills, demonstrated ability to plan, manage and implement use of new computer and network technologies for a 24/7 operation.

The ideal candidate should be a creative and highly motivated, self-starter who can manage multiple projects and priorities within a fast paced environment and is expected to have the ability to lead the systems administration team in adopting new technologies to deliver cost effective best-in-class service to 120 plus customers. The successful candidate is expected to have significant hands-on systems management and deployment experiences with Linux operating systems. An understanding of virtualized computing infrastructures and experience migrating to virtualized solutions is highly desirable.

This position requires you to submit your resume on-line at: http://keckobservatory.iapplicants.com/ViewJob-290885.html with your cover letter that states why you are uniquely qualified for the position.

Additional information about WMKO and this position may be found on our web site at www.keckobservatory.org.
EEO Employer

Keck Lecture

You are invited to attend a free Keck Observatory lecture…

City Dark: Search for Night on a Sleepless Planet
Dr. Richard Wainscoat
University of Hawai’i Institute for Astronomy

Kahilu Theater
Thursday, April 5th, 2012
7:00pm

There is no charge for admission to any events in the Makana series.

Presented by W.M. Keck Observatory.

Postcard from the Summit – Installing TBAD

Hanging 60ft over the concrete below… fun!

I spent the day drilling and tapping holes into the side of the Keck 2 secondary assembly at the front of the telescope. This is to install two pieces of steel that will serve as a mount for an electronic module behind the secondary mirror. The only way to do this is to climb out onto the secondary assembly. Not a job for anyone that has a problem with heights.

Mind you I am tied to the telescope with safety straps and a full harness. While a fall would not be fatal, it would be an experience in hurt, slammed up against the steel when the straps catch the fall.

The system I am installing is TBAD. I will have to write more about it later, a quick description for now. TBAD is a method of detecting aircraft in front of the telescope, intended to shutter the AO laser before we illuminate an aircraft. It will use a directional antenna to receive transponder transmissions from the aircraft. Of course, the antenna needs to be mounted to the telescope along with the receiver electronics. Thus today’s work.

When you read this I will probably be back at it. Today I will be pulling the cable for the system to the secondary. This is done using our JLG man-lift, a hydraulically powered basket/crane that can access much of the telescope. I think I remember how to drive it…

Installing TBAD — Hanging on to the side of the secondary assembly to install mounting points for TBAD

Employment Opportunity at Keck – Temporary Electrical Engineer

W. M. Keck Observatory Position Announcement…

Temporary Electrical Engineer

This temporary position provides electronics and electrical engineering support to develop new observatory capabilities and for upgrades to our existing observatory infrastructure. This is a challenging fast-paced technical environment where teamwork and good interpersonal communication skills are essential.

Utilizing the Keck 1 Laser Guide Star during the night

The observatory operates two of the largest and most scientifically productive optical/infrared telescopes in the world. The twin 10-meter telescopes are located amidst several other world class observatories on the summit of Mauna Kea, at 13,796 feet above sea level on the Big Island of Hawaii, one of the premier sites for astronomy. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to join a skilled and deeply committed team of technical professionals who enable exciting and important astronomical discoveries.

Desired competencies include, but are not limited to: understanding of analog and digital electronics, data communications and computer interface electronics, industrial control systems experience including specific PLC competencies. The ideal candidate should be a motivated self-starter who can manage multiple projects and priorities within a fast paced environment.

Qualifications for this position include a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering or equivalent; two years of work experience performing design and documentation, analysis, fabrication, test, and troubleshooting of electronics and electromechanical systems; engineering process and configuration management experience.

This position requires you to submit your resume on-line at: http://keckobservatory.iapplicants.com/ViewJob-282805.html with your cover letter that states why you are uniquely qualified for the position.

Additional information about WMKO and this position may be found on our website at www.keckobservatory.org EEO Employer

Employment Opportunity at Keck – Human Resources Generalist

W. M. Keck Observatory Position Announcement…

Human Resources Generalist

Under the general supervision of the Human Resources & Administration Manager, the Human Resources Generalist (HRG) provides a wide variety of both complex and routine administrative services. The HRG position is dedicated to providing assistance to departments and employees in the review and processing of transactions related to recruitment, benefits, compensation, absences and resignations. Also assists with various aspects of the HRIS integration and maintenance project as well as other HR related projects.

The observatory operates two of the largest and most scientifically productive optical/infrared telescopes in the world. The twin 10-meter telescopes are located amidst several other world class observatories on the summit of Mauna Kea, at 13,796 feet above sea level on the Big Island of Hawaii, one of the premier sites for astronomy. Our headquarters is located in Waimea, at 2,500 feet above sea level.

Required: Bachelor’s degree and five years of hands-on HR experience in personnel related processes in functional areas including; benefits, classification/compensation, employment and personnel records management. Must possess strong communication skills. Preferred degree in Human Resources Management, Business Administration or Industrial Relations.

This position requires you to submit your resume on-line at: http://keckobservatory.iapplicants.com/ViewJob-279721.html with your cover letter that states why you are uniquely qualified for the position.

Additional information about WMKO and this position may be found on our website at www.keckobservatory.org EEO Employer