Hunting for Earth-like Planets with Gemini-N and MAROON-X The observing team will be using the Gemini North telescope located near the summit of Maunakea on the island of Hawai’i. As opposed to “classical” observing nights that have been featured in most of the previous StS sessions, Gemini Observatory utilizes queue observing mode in which Gemini staff take observations on behalf of science teams from all over the world. On any given night, Gemini staff determine the conditions on the ground and in the sky, as well as the scientific priorities, and choose from a pool of scientific programs to observe. This means anything could be observed on any night! We will be joined tonight by Dr. Steve Howell, head of the NASA speckle team. This team maintains and operates two of Gemini Observatory’s visiting instruments, `Alopeke and Zorro. These identical instruments, one at Gemini North and the other at Gemini South, enable astronomers to search for close companions to astronomical objects, primarily nearby stars, using a technique known as speckle imaging. Dr. Howell will share his knowledge of speckle imaging and how the speckle team uses this technique to further our understanding of exoplanets and other astronomical topics. Tonight’s observations will feature the MAROON-X instrument, an instrument built by a team at the University of Chicago, which is capable of detecting Earth-like planets in the habitable zone of low-mass nearby stars. In addition, the session may include observations with the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph (GMOS) and the Gemini Near InfraRed Spectrograph (GNIRS). While the primary goal of this session will be planet hunting, targets could range from asteroids in our solar system, massive stars, and distant galaxies, to supernovae, and even gamma-ray bursts. Come along for this cosmic adventure as we explore the Universe and share its wonders!