Astronomy on Tap Hawai’i: Nāpōwawā`enakaulua

Join us on Wednesday, October 14th from 7–9 pm at Hale Kanikapilafor a night of casual astronomy! This month, we’re diving intoNāpōwawā`enakaulua: the story of a supermassive black hole twin at the edge of the Universe. Silvia Onorato and Devin Chu will share the recent scientific discovery, along with the Hawaiian naming and its cultural relevance. Come hang out, learn something new, and test your knowledge in our quiz for a chance to win prizes! Everyone is welcome, no astronomy background needed.

Silvia Onorato – The scientific discovery from Maunakea and space telescopes****

What’s better than a supermassive black hole swallowing matter at the dawn of the Universe? Two of them, side by side! Silvia Onorato from the Gemini North Observatory will guide you through the exploration of a rare black hole twin system observed when the cosmos was less than a billion years old.

Silvia was born and raised in Sicily, in Southern Italy. Passionate about science, she is now a postdoc at the Gemini Observatory working to understand the early Universe through supermassive black holes. She received her Master’s degree in Astrophysics and Cosmology from the University of Bologna (Italy) in 2021 and completed her Ph.D. at Leiden Observatory (the Netherlands) in 2025. Besides science, she is very passionate about traveling, paddling (go Puna!), skiing, volleyball, music, and books.

Devin Chu – The Hawaiian naming and cultural relevance****

Given the relevance of Maunakea in this discovery, through the A Hua He Inoa program at Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawai’i, the following name was given to the double quasar system:*Nāpōwawāenakaulua*. This translates to “Two celestial bodies of fathomless powerful darkness (black holes) in the brilliance of heat reincarnating energy into the Universe” in the indigenous Hawaiian language, ‘ōlelo. Devin Chu from `Imiloa will describe how the name was given by Larry Kimura, professor of Hawaiian Language and Hawaiian Studies at Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani/College of Hawaiian Language.

Devin Chu was raised in Hilo, Hawaiʻi – a community situated down the slopes of Maunakea, Hawaiʻi Island. His relationship with the astronomy community played a large role in inspiring him to become an astronomer. Devin attended Dartmouth College and received his Bachelor’s degree in Physics and Astronomy. Devin then attended the University of California, Los Angeles and received his PhD in Astronomy and Astrophysics under the supervision of Professor Andrea Ghez and Professor Tuan Do. Devin’s research interests include studying stars orbiting the Milky Way Galaxy’s central supermassive black hole using spectroscopy with adaptive optics to better understand the stellar dynamics and populations of the region. Devin has since returned to his hometown of Hilo with his young family and serves as the Astronomer in Residence at the ʻImiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaiʻi. Devin has been involved with the A Hua He Inoa program, a collaborative effort led by ʻImiloa, which is shifting global paradigms, positioning Hawai‘i as the first place in the world to weave traditional indigenous practices into the process of officially naming astronomical discoveries.