Maui Stargazing

Brocken Specter with the shadow of the AEOS observatory atop Haleakala. Fog messed with our telescope time but there was this little gift to inspire a smile and provoke a sense of winter wonder.

Happy Holidays from Haleakala! Pan-STARRS observatory in the foreground and image taken by Pan-STARRS superimposed in the sky background. Mahalo Henry Weiland!

Sunset at Kalahaku at the 9300’ elevation of Haleakala rarely disappoints! And then there’s the stargazing.

Saturn is getting ready to surpass Jupiter in the early evening sky. Look toward the west each night 30 mins past sunset. They will meet on December 21, then Saturn will pass Jupiter. Both planets will set with the sun and be up during the day until next summer when they reappear in the east just after sunset. Astronomy Picture of the Day by Sebastian Voltmer.

Comet Neowise courtesy of Maui Master Astronomer Rakhal Kinkaid.