Pan-STARRS

Pan-STARRS is an astronomical observatory in Haleakalā, Maui County, located inside the dormant volcanic crater at an elevation of 10,020 feet (3,055 meters). The facility houses two telescopes with 1.8-meter mirrors whose cameras achieve the highest digital resolution used in sky monitoring worldwide.

The United States Air Force provided funding for the construction of the observatory, which began operations with its first telescope on December 6, 2008. The second telescope was added a few years later to expand coverage of the visible sky area.

The University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy manages this facility in collaboration with MIT Lincoln Laboratory and the Maui High-Performance Computing Center.

The observatory runs automated sky scans every night, covering all visible areas within a few days of observation. The crater location offers clear views and minimal light pollution, making the conditions favorable for sky monitoring.

The observatory detected the first interstellar object passing through our solar system in 2017, which received the Hawaiian name ʻOumuamua. The name means scout or messenger and reflects the origin of the object from another star system.

Location: Maui County

Inception: 2006

Part of: Haleakalā Observatory

Website: http://pswww.ifa.hawaii.edu/pswww

GPS coordinates: 20.70732,-156.25589

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:24