The Mauna Kea Telescope is looking for a mystery couple after the proposed sunset constellation | Big Island Now

Some of the most amazing astronomical moments in the universe do not occur in the great outdoors. They are happening in an amazing way right here on Earth.

One of those world treasures was recently discovered by the crew of the Canada-France-Hawai’i Big Island Telescope.

They often explore new and exciting worlds, and they want to interact with other countries with Mauna Kea’s 3.6-meter optical/infrared telescope, but on the first evening of Aug. the top of the mountain.

A man in white pants drops to one knee and surprises a woman in a knitted cap with an engagement ring. He shines as bright as any star in the galaxy, his hand on his chest, as he asks the question.

Now, telescope operators want to find the mysterious couple so they can share the video with them – and wish them “all the luck in the universe.”

There were no words, “but everyone looked really happy,” said Mary Beth Laychak, director of communications and community engagement for the Canada-France-Hawaii Observatory. i.

“It’s a great story, and based on the reaction to the video, we’re pretty sure he’s saying yes,” Laychak said.

The sunset proposal, which lasted a minute, was recorded around 6:30 pm Laychak said at the end of the proposal time, the future groom stood up and the couple hugged and kissed.

The discovery was not immediately noticed because the telescope’s operators watch from afar each night from their headquarters in Waimea.

So it was the following night when an observer was checking the recording from the front door camera as part of his duties when he found the couple’s special moment.

A viewer took a screenshot of the presentation in the video and shared it inside, with a few captions and some emojis.

“Everyone who commented was happy and excited for the couple,” Laychak said.

The observatory has several cameras along its path that look into the sky to see clouds and weather, including winter snowstorms. Those cameras are available to the public on the Canada-France-Hawai’i Telescope website.

The front door camera is used to detect people arriving at the facility and keep an eye on the door and floor during winter weather. Those pictures and videos are usually not shared because rarely anything interesting happens there.

Laychak said of the camera that was installed in 2010: “We were opened during the worst of the winter storm, so it helped us a lot.”

While at the top of the sunset, Laychak said he saw several offers and even helped with a few of them, but he said this was one of the big ones.

“There’s something magical about (sunsets) for me, so I think this couple will always have a special memory,” he said.

All the cameras in the Canada-France-Hawai’i Telescope assembly can be used to make time-lapse videos, so a staff member put together a presentation in case the couple wanted it as a memento.

Before asking for the public’s help on social media to find the couple, Laychak and the staff member who created the clip watched it to make sure it looked like the woman was saying yes.

“If the lucky couple is interested, we would be happy to share the pictures with them,” wrote the telescope Aug. 15 on its Facebook page. It’s been a long time, but if anyone is engaged or knows someone who was engaged on Tuesday, August 13th, let us know!”

From the afternoon of Aug. 23, the telescope’s Facebook post about the conference presentation had 88 comments or other comments, 6 comments and was shared 41 times. The Canada-France-Hawai’i Telescope Instagram post and X’s post and they also had a lot of commitment.

“This is wonderful. I love this!” said Jesse Rogerson in a Facebook post of the telescope. “What a place to get engaged.”

Grant Matsushige shared a post from the Canada-France-Hawai’i Observatory on Facebook in another group asking if anyone knew them and said he hoped they would be found. He is a former telescope operator.

Connie Roark chimed in with her post saying it was “very funny.” When Rodney Mitchell said it was great the presentation took place at the top of the tallest mountain in the world.

You’re right: Mauna Kea is 33,500 meters long from the bottom of the sea to its summit. It is more than 4,465 meters taller than Mount Everest.

Instagram user askora commented on the telescope post: “My wife and I were lucky enough to propose there too!”

Laychak said he is sure that the observatory has been the site of many proposals, the telescope was able to capture this one on video.

“He promised her the moon and the stars?!” he said of Alan Dyer in X. “The show got him off!”

The couple or anyone they know can contact the telescope through social media or by email at info@cfht.hawaii.edu.