National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

Entrance at Mitaka, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

, also known as NAOJ, is a Japanese astronomy research organization. NAOJ has several facilities in Japan; and it has an observatory on Mauna Kea in Hawaii.

History

NAOJ was established in 1988. Three institutions merged. They were the

• Tokyo Astronomical Observatory of the University of Tokyo
• International Latitude Observatory of Mizusawa
• Research Institute of Atmospherics of Nagoya University.

In 2004, NAOJ became part of the National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS). NINS was created to promote collaboration among researchers of the five constituent institutes. NAOJ merged with four other national institutes. They were

• National Institute for Basic Biology
• National Institute for Fusion Science
• National Institute for Physiological Sciences
• Institute for Molecular Science

Timeline

• 1888 Tokyo Astronomical Observatory was established by the University of Tokyo
• 1899 Latitude Observatory was established in Mizusawa.
• 1908 Astronomical Society of Japan established.
• 1949 Nobeyama University Atmospheric Research Center established
• 1960 Okayama Astrophysical Observatory established
• 1981 Hinotori satellite launched
• 1988 NAOJ established
• 1992 Nobeyama Radio Heliograph began observations
• 1996 Introduction and open use of super computers
• 1997 HALCA satellite launched
• 1999 Subaru Telescope begain working on Mauna Kea in Hawaii
• 2004 NAOJ merged into NINS
• 2006 Ishigakishima Obervatory established, Akari satellite launched
• 2007 Kaguya satellite launched

Locations

• Mitaka Campus at Mitaka, Tokyo

The Headquarters, Astronomy Data Center, Advanced Technology Center, Public Relations Center

Solar Flare Telescope, Sunspot Telescope, TAMA 300 gravitational wave detector

Tokyo Photoelectric Meridian Circle

Historical instruments: Solar Tower Telescope, 65cm refractor dome, 20cm refractor dome 35°40′31″N 139°32′17″E

• Nobeyama Radio Observatory & Nobeyama Solar Radio Observatory at Minamimaki, Nagano

45m Millimeter Radio Telescope, Nobeyama Millimeter Array, Nobeyama Radio Heliograph

35°56′28″N 138°28′13″E

• Mizusawa VERA Observatory at Ōshū, Iwate.

20m radio telescope, 10m VLBI radio telescope

39°08′06″N 141°08′00″E

Historical building: Dr. Kimura Museum

• Norikura Solar Observatory at Mount Norikura, Nagano

10cm Coronagraph, 25cm Coronagraph

36°07′01″N 137°33′09″E

• Okayama Astrophysical Observatory at Mount Chikurinji, Okayama.

188cm telescope, 91cm telescope, 65cm Coude-Type solar telescope

34°34′34″N 133°35′39″E

• VERA 20m radio telescopes

Mizusawa

Ogasawara. 27°05′30″N 142°13′00″E

Iriki. 31°44′52″N 130°26′24″E

Ishigakijima. 24°24′43.834″N 124°10′15.578″E

• Hawaii Observatory on the island of Hawaii

Subaru 8m telescope (Mauna Kea) 19°49′33″N 155°28′35″W

Hilo Base Facility (Hilo, Hawaii). 19°42′10″N 155°05′25″W

Projects

• Hinode
• SELENE

Gallery

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  The Mount Mitaka telescope was made by Carl Zeiss, 1921

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  Norikura Solar Observatory

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  Nobeyama radiotelescope array

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  Subaru Telescope

National Astronomical Observatory Of Japan Media

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  NAOJ is involved in the construction of ALMA.

• National Astronomical Observatory of Japan.jpg

  National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

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  65cm refractor dome, now Observatory History Museum

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  VERA(VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry) Ishigakijima station, Okinawa, Japan. National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. Shisa is on the gate.

Related pages

• Institute of Space and Astronautical Science

Other websites

Media related to National Astronomical Observatory of Japan at Wikimedia Commons

• National Astronomical Observatory Of Japan website Archived 2005-06-24 at the Wayback Machine