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With the Hawai’ian Islands presenting the best place to view the transit
of Venus this June, Steven Miller explores how the ‘Imiloa astronomy
centre is linking the Universe to Polynesian history on tropical Mauna Kea.
y
r of the ‘Imiloa Astronom
▲ Ka’iu Kimura, Directo
Center of Hawai’i.
F
rom its base, the mountain reaches
over 10,000 metres, greater than
Mount Everest. Several thousand
kilometres from the nearest mainland, it is
one of the most isolated places on Earth.
Its name means ‘the white mountain’ and it
is sacred to the people who first saw it and
precious to the world of astronomy.
The mountain is Mauna Kea, the place
Hawai’i. And it is the task of the ‘Imiloa
Center in Hilo to bring out the meaning of
the mountain to different people, to explain
how it relates to the key questions of where
do we come from and where are we going.
Mauna Kea is one of the world’s
premier sites for astronomy. High – over
4,000 metres above sea level – and dry
(usually), the Mauna Kea Observatory
affords astronomers a clear atmosphere
through which to explore the heavens.
From the 1960s the observatory developed
rapidly; by the end of the 1970s, a
trio of international three-metre class
telescopes could be found on peaks close
to its summit as well as the University
of Hawai’i’s own two-metre telescope.
The 1970s also witnessed a major
revival of native Hawai’ian culture and
identity. Traditional hula dancing had been
24 | Astronomy Now | June 2012
discouraged by the missionaries who dominated
the education system in the 1800s; Hollywood
served up a bland parody in the 1900s. From
1964 onwards, the Merry Monarch hula
festival brought back the energy, ferocity and
excitement to the traditional dance.
Polynesian navigational skills, which
had brought the original settlers thousands
of kilometres from the South Pacific to the
islands, were also all but lost. That changed
with the foundation of the Polynesian
Voyaging Society whose members built a
traditional double-hulled sailing canoe, the
Hokulea. In 1976, the Hokulea retraced the
voyage from Hawai’i to Tahiti, making use of
traditional navigational techniques.
Meanwhile, on Mauna Kea, telescopes
were proliferating like mushrooms:
biggest of all were the twin ten-metre
dishes of the W M Keck Observatory.
The climate for telescope development
on Mauna Kea, however, was changing.
Reaching out
The Keck team had built two identical
ten-metre composite dishes with a view to
using them either as independent
telescopes or as one instrument
with the resolution of an 80-metre
telescope, but the latter use required
the building of six smaller ‘outrigger’
telescopes along the baseline. Too
much, too fast: in 2006, native
Hawai’ian groups, concerned at their
apparent exclusion from decisions
about their sacred mountain,
combined with environmentalists to
block the outriggers.
That was the year the ‘Imiloa
Center opened.
‘Imiloa was the product of five
years of “passionate conversation”,
planning and building. From the
start, discussions centred on how
Hawai’ian culture would be brought
into the heart of explaining the
excitement of modern astronomy to
local residents and tourists alike.
The Center’s Director, Ka’iu
Kimura, explains: “Until we actually
opened the Center, many Hawai’ians
were hesitant about whether or not
ng up
Hawai’i’s mountains risi
up to invoke the image of
ng
risi
es
s.
dom
den
ked
gar
its
pea
▼ The ‘Imiloa Center,
hes and ohio trees within
through the hibiscus bus
out of the sea, as viewed
telescopes are (left to
, the White Mountain: the
▲ Sunset on Mauna Kea
n ten-metre telescopes
twi
k
Kec
etre telescope, the
Miller.
right) the Subaru eight-m
ven
scope Facility. Image: Ste
and the NASA Infrared Tele
ck hole using the
n to navigate around a bla
▲ School students can lear ven Miller.
Ste
interactive exhibits. Image:
this was going to be something they could support, but when the Center
opened it began to break down the walls between people.”
With its shining peaks, ‘Imiloa is designed to evoke the view that the
Polynesian discoverers of the island first saw from their weary canoes, after
thousands of kilometres of empty ocean. Visitors enter through gardens of
native hibiscus bushes and ohio trees, past patches of taro and banana, plants
the Polynesians brought so they could feed themselves in their new home.
‘Imiloa’s planetarium is one of the most modern in the world. Its
signature show - “Mauna Kea: between Earth and Sky” – encourages viewers
to ‘Imagine yourself on a Polynesian voyaging canoe, leaning into the wind
and following currents that are carrying you to a strange new land. Search
for Hokupa’a, your guide star. Then look farther, past planets, galaxies and
swirling nebulae and even deeper, back into the beginning of the Universe.
You will also be captivated with the Hawai’ian story of Pele and Poliahu,
the creation of the Hawai’ian islands and a fly-through of one of the
observatories on the summit of Mauna Kea.’
In this the Hawai’ian creation story, the Kumulipo, is intertwined
with the work of the summit observatories and their latest astronomical
discoveries. The planetarium also hosts evening talks by astronomers from
the observatory.
Entering the exhibition, visitors are immersed once more in the
Kumulipo before they reach the modern astronomy exhibits. Just listening
to the poetry of the chant, even if you cannot understand it, puts Hawai’ian
astronomy into context: no longer an abstract product of steel and glass
that, these days, can be reached via fast Internet connections without
stirring from the office, but a living creation of a real place, with real
environment and real history.
Center’s
on one totally free visit. Ka’iu Kimura saw a way to
expand that experience to their parents, as well: “We
gave the kids a coupon so that they could come back
again for free with their families. Many came back with
their Alaka’i badges – the leader of their tour – and it was
amazing to see how much they had retained from their
school visit and seeing their excitement at sharing the
Center with their families.”
With Moore Foundation support, the ‘Imiloa center
is going out to communities across Hawai’i with mobile
science laboratories. ‘Imiloa means “exploring new
knowledge,” and gives a real sense of voyaging through
ideas as well as space. Now ‘Imiloa itself is on the road,
voyaging through its community.
More information on ‘Imiloa can be found at
www.imiloahawaii.org.
Steve Miller is Professor of Science Communication and
Planetary Science at University College London. His latest
book, The Chemical Cosmos: A Guided Tour, is published by
Springer.
that made the
ulea double-hulled canoe
▼ A scale model of the Hok
Steven Miller.
ge:
Ima
6.
197
in
iti
Tah
voyage from Hawai’i to
Interactivity
The close connection between ‘Imiloa and the Mauna Kea observatory means
there is always something of the latest astronomical discoveries to be found.
Alongside, interactive exhibits that enable schoolchildren to navigate around
a black hole, cook up a chemical cosmos, or see beyond the visible spectrum
into the infrared, a key wavelength region for the high, dry, observatory.
Crossing the floor, visitors reach the exhibits on Polynesian navigation – a
scale model of the Hokulea and more interactive displays demonstrating how
to make use of natural signs, like bird flight, to find out where land is located.
Story corners invite school students to hear about the traditions of Hawaii.
During the last few years, a generous grant from the Gordon and Betty
Moore Foundation enabled ‘Imiloa to host all of the island’s schoolchildren
June 2012 | Astronomy Now | 25