HILO – On Saturday, the Prince Kuhio Plaza in Hilo was bustling with robots, telescopes and excited young scientists.
The annual Astro Day is billed as a “Celebration of Astronomy & Hawaiian Culture”. The event featured over 40 exhibits, demonstrations and activity areas and musical performance throughout mall.
We spoke to Nadine Manset with the Mauna Kea Astronomy Outreach Committee, the organization that puts it all together.
The goal of the event is to bring astronomy to the people; a goal that seems to carry extra importance this year. This month has been challenging for astronomy on Hawaii Island. Astronomers have heard the calls from some who are opposed to the planned Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea to remove all telescopes from the summit of the sacred mountain. Some of those astronomers have told us they are uncomfortable defending the TMT – or their own profession – due to the emotions involved.
Astro Day coincides with Astronomy Day, an international movement to share the joy of astronomy with the general population.
ASTRO day. Hmm couple years she say. Teaching children about mauna kea on astronomer day haha. Tell the kids the truth. ASTRO day is nothing but a protest against the protesters on mauna kea,this is the first astronomer day in hilo history and they have no clue what the black hole is. We also have live feeds on mauna kea that’s the worst in the world. Still frames of the environment not of space. So technology is picking up tennis balls with robots connected to ps3 remotes now days. Look like a dam petting zoo for aliens haha amazing
Uh…no, this is NOT the “first astronomer day in hilo history.” This is, in fact, the FOURTEENTH Astronomy Day for Hilo: http://www.mkaoc.org/programming/astroday/astroday-history This was not a “protest against the protesters.”
Na it is a protest for the protesters. Oh so 14 is couple times now. Just so happen this past Saturday they sneak in a astronomer day nuh. Pushing fake thought of space on kids, showing them fake pictures of stars you can see without a telescope. Watch the video again and listen to them talking about protest and about being worried about the telescope being shut down. You guys just talk bubbles, with selective hearing. I thought astronomy was about outer space not earth, mauna kea and protesters. Haha you funny cuz!
…it just so happens this is the first weekend in May — same as all the other years for AstroDay in Hilo. If there’s a coincidence, it’s that the protestors decided to pay attention now, instead of any other time in the past 7 years, while the TMT was going through the approval process.
I think you forgot how it works. They hid it till the day of ground breaking. You remember. How was I supposed to find out about the tmt 7 Years ago. News? Yeah right even on the Internet they post this kind of article and it takes 2 seconds to hit the bottom of the list like the management plans for volcano and kalaupapa. For 1 day and it’s never to be seen again. Ah back then people had mail boxes nuh oh but it’s not for reaching out to the public it’s for bills and rubbish coupons. Brah you just like 1 guy I know that catch amnesia every now and then. Always seems to happen when the truth is told. But I expect you to forget about that too.
I fully know how it works. Unlike you, I’m aware of what goes on in my community. You clearly use this website, and yet ignore the fact HEARING NOTICES WERE ON THIS WEBSITE ALMOST 5 YEARS AGO! https://www.bigislandvideonews.com/2010/12/02/thirty-meter-telescope-hearing-tonight-tomorrow-on-big-island/ You want to claim “amnesia,” now? The hearings were also posted in the Tribune-Herald. But, sure. Keep blaming things on everyone else’s supposed subterfuge…
Yup you got amnesia and selective reading. I said the window of chance for me to see something like that are slim unless they serve it like a court order or jury duty. Not swoop in un noticed and come up with a decision like it was planned. You don’t find it odd that no one comment on it back then. People shouldn’t have to check what’s going on in their community when it comes to something major like this. Explain to me about volcano national parks new management plan 1 day on the news and it’s gone. But people got 2 months to make the comments on the 500+ pages of change plans. Same crook tactics. Not even national park workers know about it as of Saturday because I went there and asked.
If the scientist/astronomers want to hear an earful they know where to find our people. They are there on the mountain. They have been there for the past 40 days now. Why doesnt the science community go up there and talk to the people so they can actually really hear? You can spoon feed the kids anything but try to get that past the adults that know what is going on legally is another story. There are more than enough telescopes to learn from. Be satisfied with that. There are other people you overlook on the island that just dont want any more damage to be done to the mountain. Simple. Maybe there should be a “Mauna Preservation Day”.
KeaauDave: don’t waste your time in arguing with Live Aloha, he clearly lives isolated from reality.
“showing them fake pictures of stars”?…..
“technology is picking up tennis balls with robots connected to ps3 remotes”…..
Live Aloha, just exactly how do you think the engineers that designed the rovers that are currently on Mars, or the probe that landed on a comet started their careers in robotics? by designing space crafts?…
AstroDay is about bringing science to the people, and yes, getting kids interested in science. From your comments you make it sounds as if you were opposed not only to the TMT but to science in general. The ONLY way for Hawaiian kids to make a better life for them is through education.
scientist/astronomers don’t want to “hear and earful”, they want to share with the community the science they perform, and yes, they want to get the children interested in science, is that really so bad?…. I don’t think there’s another industry on the Big Island that gives to education as much as the telescope community does: AstroDay, Onizuka Day, Journey Through the Universe, THINK fund, but according to you that is just “spoon feeding the kids”, right? it would be good if the adults were as receptive as the kids are.
Opposed to science. Think whatever you like. I know those pictures are fake copy from a computer generated image. I don’t disagree on education for children but I also think the children should understand earth instead of tv screens, iPad and video games. Now days kids not interested in riding bikes, running or even sports. We want our children to become physically and mentally strong so they have fair chance at life just like I have. On the other hand all you want for my kids is astronomy it sounds like. I am skilled at everything from animals, fishing, farming, welding, carpentry, machine operating, mason, musician and most proud of being strait up tuff. Oh I am interested in astronomy but astronomy don’t pay my bills. My skill set does. If everyone left this island I will survive on my own. Most of you people can’t even lift a stack of paper and you try and act like we missing out on a big thing. Like life can’t go on. Grow up, I want every child to have a shot at max potential and on their free time learn about solar systems, play kids games or whatever they choose. That’s life and life is a need not a want.
Do you know how images from telescopes are produced in current times? Do you think it is a camera at the end of an eye piece? no, they are computer generated from the data collected by the telescopes, but that does not make them “fake”.
As for children not interested in riding bikes, running or even sports, that becomes each children parents’ responsibility. If the parents are too lazy to put limits to the amount of time kids spend in front of a screen that is their mistake. Each one of us who has kids has to take responsibility for the way we raise them. Don’t blame the telescopes or technology for that
My last post I didn’t blame nothing on anything or anyone. I’m good. I know how to raise my kids trust me. I also know how these telescopes work with the computer imagery. I am a member at imiloa astronomy center for the kids. Been there few times. I could see if they had raw evidence of some kind of space material not computer imagery I can look at that online if all you have is pictures and talk.