Author: Andrew

An electrical engineer, amateur astronomer, and diver, living and working on the island of Hawaiʻi.

Pukiawe

Pukiawe
Pukiawe (Styphelia tameiameiae) on the slopes of Mauna Kea
An attractive bush seen commonly on Mauna Kea, this shrub is common across the dry cinder slopes and recent lava flows. Styphelia tameiameiae is a member of the family Epacridaceae the plant is found throughout the Hawaiian islands and is endemic to Hawaii and the Marquesas.

Pukiawe
Pukiawe (Styphelia tameiameiae) on the slopes of Mauna Kea
As you ascend the mountain pukiawe is one of the last plants you will see, growing at elevations up to 10,000ft. Along the Mauna Kea access road it is one of the most common plants dotting the mountainside. Large isolated bushes scattered widely among the gravel switchbacks above Hale Pōhaku.

Small, upright leaved are densely spaced on the branches. The small (5mm or 1/4in) red fruits are not edible. The leaves of the plant were used for medicinal purposes by the ancient Hawaiians.

Another Undescribed Species

There are quite a few well known, but undescribed species found island reefs. I have noted a few of them previously here on DarkerView.

Undescribed means simply that… The species has never been properly described in a scientific publication such that a species name is assigned. These do exist, and are more common than many people realize. Some marine biologist with expertise with related species needs to spend some time to capture a few, and do a proper description, an exercise that takes more effort than you might think.

I ran into another one recently. This anemone was quite common on the sandy slopes below the reef at Garden Eel Cove. There was a individual every three or four feet amoung the garden eels at 80ft depth. They are apparently an undescribed species of the genus Mesacmaea. More information can be found on Hoover’s update pages. This one should really be added to the next edition.

They were quite challenging to photograph. Quite small, less than an inch across, and quick to disappear into the sand when approached too closely.

Mesacmaea sp?
An undescribed member of the genus Mesacmaea, 80ft depth at Garden Eel Cove.

A Very Short Eclipse

We have been lucky in the islands lately when it comes to total lunar eclipses. A series of total eclipses have been visible from start to end from our vantage point in the middle of the Pacific. There is an average of one eclipse visible per year from any given place, but that is an average, you can go several years without an opportunity. Both 2012 and 2014 have given us two good eclipses and 2015 provides one.

Total Lunar Eclipse 4Apr2015
The sum of 699 exposures taken through the lunar eclipse of Apr 4, 2015
This eclipse would be a bit different however… Overall the eclipse lasted as long as is normal for a lunar eclipse, about three and a half hours. It was the total phase that was unusually short for this particular eclipse. It was only about four minutes that the moon would be entirely within the umbra, the darkest part of the Earth’s shadow. This usually lasts about an hour. The umbral magnitude of this eclipse was 1.0008, just barely over the threshold of one that designates a total lunar eclipse.

On Friday I did a quick interview with a reporter from the West Hawaii, Today, our local newspaper. He was looking for a little more information on the eclipse and a somewhat more local angle than a wire article on this eclipse. I chatted for a while, and got written up in the article…

Continue reading “A Very Short Eclipse”

Mauna Kea Starscape

With all of the emotion being expressed over telescopes on the mountain this week, just a reminder of why Mauna Kea is the perfect place from which to look to the heavens…

Mauna Loa and Meteor
Looking over a snow covered Puʻu Hau Kea to Mauna Loa, a bright meteor is visible, as is the GMD laser, Canon 6D and Samyang 14mm f/2.8 lens, 30s at ISO6400

Total Lunar Eclipse Reminder

Total Lunar Eclipse 14Apr2014
The total lunar eclipse on Apr 14, 2014, Canon 6D on 90mm f/12 APO
Early tomorrow morning a total lunar eclipse will be visible across the Pacific. Sky watchers in Hawaiʻi will be able to observe this event from beginning to end.

Penumbral Eclipse Begins  11:01 HST   09:01 UT
Partial Eclipse Begins   00:15 HST   10:15 UT
Total Eclipse Begins   01:57 HST   11:57 UT
Greatest Eclipse   02:01 HST   12:01 UT
Total Eclipse Ends   02:02 HST   12:02 UT
Partial Eclipse Ends   03:44 HST   13:44 UT
Penumbral Eclipse Ends   04:58 HST   14:58 UT

Timing for the 4Apr2015 total lunar eclipse