The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $1,649,787 Project Grant to the California Association for Research in Astronomy (CARA), operating as the W.M. Keck Observatory, under the NSF's Integrative Activities (CFDA 47.083) program. The grant will fund the High Order Advanced Keck Adaptive Optics (HAKA) project, which will replace the existing deformable mirror in the Keck II telescope's adaptive optics system with a state-of-the-art 2800-actuator mirror. This upgrade will significantly improve the observatory's ability to directly image and spectroscopically characterize dozens of exoplanets that are too close to their host stars to be observed by the James Webb Space Telescope. The HAKA project will also enable the Keck II telescope to operate in the Z-band, improving its solar system observation capabilities. The award is intended to enhance the nation's astronomical research infrastructure and support training programs in astronomical instrumentation from 2023 through 2026.
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