The Town of Iriki Sinks Beneath a Sea of Clouds
Photo・
At the beginning of winter, in the morning you can see this scenery at the VERA Iriki Station. The morning sun rising from behind throws the shadow of the radio telescope on the green grass of the farm in beautiful detail. Under the faraway sea of clouds, the Sendai River, one of the largest rivers in Kyushu, flows into the East China Sea. On the right and left sides at the back of the photo, you can see gentle mountains. The cloud sea spreads to fill the space between them.
Story Behind the Photograph
On the morning of November 30, 2015, I went to the Iriki Station to prepare for the cooperative observations between NAOJ VERA and KVN (Korean VLBI Network). My task was to install the dual band receiving system for 22 GHz and 43 GHz. Just after I arrived at the observatory, I climbed up to the top of the antenna for site confirmation and saw this sight. I was preoccupied with preparations because it was just before a long job requiring concentration. But, in the crisp clear morning air, the rich green and the white sea of clouds entered into my eyes and for a moment I forget about the work. I took this photo with a camera I had for documenting my work.
Akiharu Nakagawa (Kagoshima University / NAOJ Mizusawa VLBI Observatory)
Translation by: Hiroko Tsuzuki and Ramsey Lundock (NAOJ)
Image Data
| Camera | Canon PowerShot G15 |
|---|---|
| Date | 8:59 am, January 30, 2015 |
| Location | Iriki, Satsumasendai, Kagoshima |
| Photographer | Akiharu Nakagawa (Kagoshima University / NAOJ Mizusawa VLBI Observatory) |
| Credit | National Astronomical Observatory of Japan |