Hilo resident Olivier Guyon, who has built a distinguished career seeing what previously was impossible to see, was awarded a prestigious "genius grant" from the Chicago-based John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

The 36-year-old optical physicist and astronomer is one of 23 recipients of the annual $500,000 award, according to a formal announcement today. The awards are paid over a five-year period and are intended to help exceptional talents in a variety of fields pursue a creative vision, according to the foundation.

A notoriously secretive process ensures that winners are unaware of their nomination until the foundation contacts them directly with the good news.

Guyon, who divides his time between the Subaru Telescope on Mauna Kea and the University of Arizona, where he works with NASA in preparation for space missions, said the grant will allow him to continue his life’s work of detecting hard-to-spot planets orbiting around stars.

"It’s like trying to see stars in the sky with the sun out," Guyon says. "I design optical systems that are very good at only one thing: detecting very faint things that are very close to very bright things."

Guyon said his work is highly specific but integrally aligned with the grander project of answering one of man’s oldest questions.

"Are we alone?" he asks. "We’re extremely interested in seeing if there are planets similar to Earth, that are capable of sustaining life, around other stars. We want to identify if these planets exist and how they evolved."

The French-born scientist was previously recognized with the 2003 Daniel Guinier Award (Young Researcher) from the French Society of Physics and the 2006 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.

Guyon’s dedication to his field extends to his home in Hilo, where he works on handmade telescopes and other instruments.

"I have an unusual garage," he says, "and a very understanding wife."