Kealakehe HS
- “NIR Spectroscopy of Accretion Disks of Different Black Holes” by Nathan Weir and Mason Solmonson, Nathan and Mason will use the Gemini North Observatory to observe a the accretion disk of a black hole.
- “Does the Metalicity of Nebula Affect their Shape?” by Shanen Arellano.Shanen will use SITELLE at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope to study the impact of a nebula’s metalicity on its overall shape.
- “Composition and Formation of Secluded Starburst Galaxies” by Amanda Schiff. Amanda will use Megacam at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope to observe an unusual starburst galaxy, one that is not currently gravitationally interacting with others the normal trigger for starburst.
Kalani HS
- “Measuring Jupiter’s Bands” by Kaitlyn Tsuha and Jenny He.Kaitlyn and Jenny will use NASA IRTF to observe the bands of Jupiter in the infrared.
- “Comparing the Atmospheric Composition of Triton vs Pluto” by Ashley Taylor and Kaitlyn Strandberg. Ashley and Kaitlyn will use the Gemini Observatory to look at the spectra of Titan and Pluto’s atmospheres and surfaces.
- “Determining the Composition of Asteroid in the Solar System” by Yuyun Lee. Yuyun will us the Las Cumbres Observatory to study the composition of asteroids.
- “Brown Dwarf Spectroscopy” by Alyssa Zhang. Alyssa will use the NASA IRTF to study the properties of brown dwarfs, the bridge between planets and stars.
Kapolei HS
- “New Life” by Tavita Vaitului. Tavita will use the NASA IRTF to study Saturn’s moon Enceladus as a possible location for life inside our solar system.
- “Does the orbit of Sagittarius A effect the Surrounding Stars?” by Elijah Kogler and Noah Kolona. Elijah and Noah will use NASA IRTF to study Sagittarius A, the black hole at the center of our galaxy and its impact on the surrounding stars.
King Kekaulike HS
- “White Dwarf Formation Temperatures” by Quentin Beamer. Quentin will use the Las Cumbres Observatory to study the formation temperature of white dwarf stars to attempt to determine if all white dwarfs form at a similar temperature or if temperature variations exist
- “Deep into the Storm” by Kayla Wohlers and Caroline Stevenson.Kayla and Caroline will use Espadons at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope and Robo-AO to study Neptune.
- “Observing Asteroid Colors to Determine Composition” by Ryan Siarot and Thorren Rebugio. Ryan and Thorren will use the Las Cumbres Observatory to compare the color of asteroids with known compositions to asteroids with unknown compositions to determine if asteroid color is a tracer of composition.
- “Dark Matter” by Quinton Uradomo. Quinton will use the FLOYDS spectrograph on Las Cumbres Observatory to create the rotation curve of a galaxy thereby measuring the indirect effects of dark matter.
- “Cepheid Magnitude Periods” by Janine Harris. Janine will use the Las Cumbres Observatory to determine the intrinsic brightness of Cepheid stars in Andromeda and their distance by measuring star magnitude periods.
Molokai HS
- “Open Cluster HR Diagram” by Taye Mowat and Sunni Chow.Taye and Sunni will use the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope to determine the age of an open star cluster.
- “The Life Cycle of Sirius” by Skylar Kuahuia. Skylar will use Espadons at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope to study the life cycle of Sirius, one of the brightest stars in the sky.
Waiakea HS
- “Supernova iPTF14hls- The Immortal Star” by Dustin Malasemal and Blane DeReis. Blane and Dustin will use the Las Cumbres Observatory to observe a supernova that defies expectations and keeps exploding.
- “How Does a Star Die” by Micah Yokomizo. Micah will use the Las Cumbres Observatory to compare the spectra of different types of stars to determine their ultimate fate.
- “Why do Medium stars collapse into white dwarfs and large stars Supernova” by Alena Soares. Alena will use the Las Cumbres Observatory to compare large and small stars to determine the differences between those that supernova and those that end up as white dwarfs.
- “Jupiter’s Red Spot” by Issac Pauole and Jacob Pauole. Issac and Jacob will use the NASA IRTF to study Jupiter’s Great Red Spot, a hurricane in the planet’s atmosphere.
- “Galaxy Colors” by Lana Nihipoli. Lana will use the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope to study the different regions of a galaxy- star formation vs cooler older stellar populations.
- “Neptune” by Aminda Rechy. Aminda will use the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope and Robo-AO to study Neptune.
Waipahu HS
- “The planet with Two Suns” by Laura Daclison. Laura was the first student awarded time on the W.M. Keck Observatory and will use the telescope to study Kepler 35b, a binary stellar system with a planet in a stable orbit.
- “LBV and Wolf Rayet Stars” by Jean Claude Dumaslan. JC will use the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope to study luminous blue variable stars and their relation to Wolf Rayet stars.
Honokaa HS
- “The Key to Detecting Dark Matter” by Keilani Steele. Keilani will use the W.M. Keck Observatory to observe the Draco dwarf galaxy to map the galaxy’s rotation curve. She is the first two time awardee of telescope time in the Maunakea Scholars program.
- “Investigating Malin 1” by Shania Ebreo and Kiralee Tanaka.Shania and Kira used the Subaru Telescope to observe the largest known disk galaxy Malin 1 in late April. They want to study star formation in the galaxy.