The winner of the 2015 Mauna Kea Coin Contest is Selah Solt, a 10th grader at the Laupahoehoe Community Public Charter School! Her design includes Maunakea, islands, Hawaiian features, constellations like Hanai-a-ka-malama (the Southern Cross, at the bottom) and Na-hiku (the Big Dipper, at the top). The polynesian triangle that goes between Hawai'i, New Zealand, and Easter Island could also be the Summer Triangle seen in the sky!
Nine category winners and 3 special mentions were selected by Koa Rice and Kimo Pihana, Native Hawaiian cultural practicioners, and Nadine Manset, astronomer at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope and chair of the Mauna Kea Astronomy Outreach Committee. The Grand Judge, Olivier Lai, who is an astronomer at the Gemini Observatory and the Subaru Telescope, selected the three overall winners.
The prizes were awarded at AstroDay in Hilo, on Saturday May 2.
The 2015 bronze coin is for sale at the Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station (VIS) and its First Light E-Store.
The winning designs are the following:
All winners received prizes from Maunakea observatories and other partners:
