Ka Lā | The Sun, the Earth and Us

Описание: Filmed near the top Haleakalā, Maui, Hawai‘i, this documentary explores humanity’s timeless connection to the Sun — from Hawaiian legends of Māui lassoing the Sun to cutting-edge discoveries made with the NSF Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, the most powerful solar telescope in the world

Perched more than 10,000 feet above the clouds, the Inouye Solar Telescope reveals the Sun’s magnetic fields, solar flares, and coronal mass ejections with unprecedented clarity. Scientists explain how the Sun powers photosynthesis, oxygen production, climate cycles, and even human biological rhythms — while also unleashing dangerous solar storms that can disrupt satellites, GPS, power grids, and aviation.

What you’ll discover in this film:
✨ How sunlight created Earth’s atmosphere and sustains life through photosynthesis.
✨ The risks of UV radiation, solar flares, and geomagnetic storms to ecosystems and technology.
✨ The Inouye Solar Telescope's breakthrough 4-meter mirror and adaptive optics.
✨ The telescope's one-of-a-kind instrument lab.

🎥 Produced by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) in collaboration with the NSF National Solar Observatory, this film celebrates both cultural legacy and scientific discovery.

🔊 'E Ala E' by Haku Keiki
🔊 Nā Kama Kai (Oli Hoʻomākaukau) by Haku Keiki

📍 Location: Haleakalā, Maui, Hawai‘i
🔭 Focus: Sun science, astronomy, solar physics, space weather

#NSF #DKIST #SolarTelescope #Astronomy #SpaceWeather #Sun #hawaii