Our first expedition is over. From March 16 to 21, five of us flew from Portland to the Island of Hawaiʻi: Sirio, Kenta, Camila, Aisha and me. I grew up in Hilo, so for me it was partly a trip home, and my family lent us a car.
We timed the trip around the new Moon on March 19. We imaged for four nights from a rented house on the dark southern side of the island; three of the four were clear. On one evening we joined a licensed tour to the summit of Maunakea for sunset.
A few things we will remember:
- Watching the shadow of the mountain stretch across the clouds at sunset.
- Camila, who grew up under southern skies, finding the Southern Cross low on the horizon before dawn and looking very pleased with herself.
- Kenta’s portable power setup, which worked perfectly every night.
The full report, with what we imaged and what we learned, is on the expedition page. The images will go through the member pipeline over the coming weeks.
Thank you to everyone who helped plan this, and to the people of Hawaiʻi for their hospitality.