Science September 28, 2023

New Proof for Black Hole Spin

The supermassive black hole at the heart of galaxy M87, made famous by the first picture of a black hole shadow, has yielded another first: the jet shooting out from the black hole has been confirmed to wobble, providing direct proof that the black hole is spinning.

Science September 15, 2023

Supermassive Black Holes Alter Galactic Chemistry

New research shows that the supermassive black hole at the center of a galaxy can have a direct impact on the chemical distribution of the host galaxy. This provides another piece of the puzzle for understanding how galaxies evolve.

Topics September 11, 2023

Classify Galaxies and Check Answers in GALAXY CRUISE 2023 Special Campaign

GALAXY CRUISE is a citizen science project of NAOJ in which Citizen Astronomers participate in galaxy research while exploring the vast cosmic images captured by the Subaru Telescope. The 2023 Special Campaign for classifying simulated galaxies will start on September 12, 2023, at 9 a.m. in Japan Standard Time (JST). The JST time zone is UTC+9 (UTC: Coordinated Universal Time).

Science September 7, 2023

New Cosmological Constraints on the Nature of Dark Matter

New research has revealed the distribution of dark matter in never before seen detail, down to a scale of 30,000 light-years. The observed distribution fluctuations provide better constraints on the nature of dark matter.

Science August 21, 2023

Rewriting the Past and Future of the Universe

New research has improved the accuracy of the parameters governing the expansion of the Universe. More accurate parameters will help astronomers determine how the Universe grew to its current state, and how it will evolve in the future.

Science August 8, 2023

Accurate Measurement of Permittivity Advances Radio Telescope Receivers and Next Generation Telecommunication Networks

Researchers invented a novel method to measure the permittivity of insulators 100 times more accurately than before. This technology is expected to contribute to the efficient development of sensitive radio receivers for radio telescopes as well as to the development of devices for the next generation communication networks, “Beyond 5G/6G.”

Science August 4, 2023

Gas Streamers Feed Triple Baby Stars

New observations and simulations of three spiral arms of gas feeding material to three protostars forming in a trinary system have clarified the formation of multi-star systems.

Topics July 27, 2023

Dr. Reinhard Genzel, 2020 Nobel Laureate in Physics, Dr. Karl Schuster, Director of the IRAM, and their delegation visit the NAOJ

Dr. Karl Schuster, Director of the Institut de radioastronomie millimétrique (IRAM), headquartered in France, and Dr. Reinhard Genzel, Dr. Martin Giard and Dr. Rafael Bachiller, as a delegation of the IRAM Steering Committee, visited the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan from 18th to 20th July 2023.

Science July 19, 2023

VERA Unveils Surroundings of Rapidly Growing Black Holes

An international team of astronomers used the state-of-the-art capability of VERA, a Japanese network of radio telescopes operated by NAOJ, to uncover valuable clues about how rapidly growing “young” supermassive black holes form, grow, and possibly evolve into more powerful quasars.

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Science July 14, 2023

Stellar Cradles and Graves Seen in Farthest Galaxy Ever

New observations using the ALMA have distinguished the sites of star formation and a possible site of star death from the surrounding nebula in a galaxy 13.2 billion light-years away. This is the farthest that such structures have been observed.