ʻImiloa Astronomy Center

About

ʻImiloa Astronomy Center sits at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo campus and takes its name from the Hawaiian word meaning 'to seek far'—a term that serves equally as 'explore' and 'explorer.' Founded as a collaboration between the university and the astronomy community on Maunakea, ʻImiloa is built around a simple idea: the ancient Polynesian navigators who first found Hawaiʻi by reading the stars and the scientists who built observatories atop Maunakea are engaged in the same essential human quest. The 12,000-square-foot exhibit hall traces that parallel journey from two directions: the rich navigational knowledge and cultural traditions of Polynesian wayfinding, and the modern scientific discoveries emerging from the world's most advanced telescopes on Maunakea. Exhibits explore the genealogy of the universe, Pacific migration, traditional Hawaiian astronomy, and the instruments at the summit that are unraveling the origins of galaxies and black holes. The centerpiece is Hawaiʻi's only full digital planetarium, recently upgraded to HD 10K resolution—one of the highest-resolution domes in the world. Daily programs for all ages transport audiences across the cosmos and into the deep traditions of Pacific star knowledge. The surrounding award-winning native gardens offer a living exhibit of endemic, indigenous, and Polynesian-introduced 'canoe plants,' the species brought by early voyagers to the islands. Education programs include the Hālau ʻŌkupu Toddler Enrichment Program, the Hālau Lamakū Keiki Enrichment Program for grades K–5, school field trips, and the One Sky Project, which connects students to the global astronomy community. The on-site Lehua Restaurant serves locally sourced food daily.

Subject Areas

Best For