The University of Hawaii will receive $6,953,993 from the National Science Foundation for an infrared astronomical research project, U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye’s office said today.

Infrared astronomy studies the night sky by scanning for heat rather than light because many celestial objects are invisible, except for the heat they give off. By studying these mysterious parts of the universe, scientists learn more about the galaxy and its origins.
The funding for this project — designated “Development of the H4RG-15” — is to produce a large detector array for infrared light. At 16 million pixels the new detector will be the largest infrared array ever made.
To make cameras that are even bigger, these new detectors will be built so that they can be placed side-by-side to form what is called a mosaic camera.
“The funding the University of Hawaii Institute of Astronomy will receive from the NSF recognizes the excellence of Hawaii’s astronomers, and gives them an opportunity not only develop better technology for infrared astronomy, but also to collect more data to further their study of the heavens,” Inouye said in a statement.
“Advances like this ensure that the University of Hawaii stays on the cutting edge of astronomical science, but it also means that we have better opportunities to grow a high tech industry at home to support astronomy in Hawaii and potentially all over the world.”