Help IfA Reach New Heights in Astronomy

UH Institute for Astronomy

About the Institute for Astronomy (IfA)

IfA was founded at the University of Hawai‘i (UH) in 1967 to manage the Haleakalā Observatories on Maui and the Mauna Kea Observatories on the Big Island, and to carry out its own program of fundamental research into the stars, planets, and galaxies that make up our universe. It has a total staff of more than 300. Most staff are based at the IfA-Mānoa building on O‘ahu. Some are located on the neighbor islands, at the IfA-Hilo and IfA-Maui buildings. IfA is one of the world’s leading astronomical research centers. Its broad-based program includes studies of the Sun, planets, and stars, as well as interstellar matter, galaxies and cosmology.

Building on a stellar trajectory

Donors have been key partners in IfA’s stellar trajectory and continue to be a crucial component, helping IfA reach new heights.

2014 highlights include:

• Two new undergraduate majors were implemented at UH Mānoa: BA in astronomy; and BS in astrophysics.
• Dr. Christoph Baranec partnered with an international team to develop the world’s first robotic laser adaptive optics system – Robo AO – to explore thousands of exoplanet systems.
• Dr. Brent Tully received several prestigious international awards for his role in understanding the structure and evolution of the nearby universe.
• Explorers of the Universe public lecture featured Dr. Alex Filippenko, world renowned professor and author who is frequently featured in the History Channel Series, “The Universe.”

Many of these programs were made possible by generous gifts from our supporters.

Help IfA reach even higher

IfA has an incredible array of initiatives for 2015 – and you can be a part of them!

• Undergraduate scholarships for new astronomy and astrophysics majors
• A replacement for the Hoku Kea Observatory, a 36-inch telescope on Mauna Kea dedicated to the education of UH undergraduates
• A small robotic telescope on Haleakalā for K–12 education and outreach
• Increased outreach to schools through support of Astronomy in Schools program
• Support for visiting lecturers for classroom excellence and public talks