News
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Science February 6, 2025
Dusting for Stars’ Magnetic Fingerprints
For the first time astronomers have succeeded in observing the magnetic field around a young star where planets are thought to be forming. The team was able to use dust to measure the three-dimensional structure “fingerprint” of the magnetic field. This will help improve our understanding of planet formation.
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Topics January 16, 2025
First Solar Images from Sunrise-Ⅲ
The first images have been published from the Sunrise-Ⅲ balloon-borne solar telescope’s successful 6.5-day stratospheric flight in July 2024.
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Science January 15, 2025
Super-Earth vs. Sub-Neptune? The Winner is Super-Venus!
New observational data from the James Webb Space Telescope and simulation models have confirmed a new type of planet unlike anything found in the Solar System. This provides another piece of the puzzle to understand how planets and planetary systems form.
This article is including a link to a article for kids.
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Topics January 10, 2025
Prime Focus Spectrograph on the Subaru Telescope to Begin Science Operations in February
Researchers have finished equipping the Subaru Telescope with a new special “compound eye,” culminating several years of effort. This instrument, the Prime Focus Spectrograph (PFS), will be ready to begin scientific operations in February 2025.
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Topics January 7, 2025
A new-year’s message from the Director General, NAOJ
Everyone, happy new year of the Snake. I would like to say a few words to mark the start of 2025. It has been nine months since I assumed th...
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Topics December 18, 2024
Strands from Cosmic Spiderweb Connect to Subaru Telescope
An international research team has used the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to observe massive galaxies discovered by the Subaru Telescope in a corner of the early Universe known as the Spiderweb protocluster. The JWST results confirm what had been suggested from the Subaru Telescope observations, namely that supermassive black hole activity can truncate the growth of galaxies.
This article is including a link to a article for kids.
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Topics December 13, 2024
President of Planetarium Torreón of Mexico and his Entourage Visit NAOJ Mitaka Headquarters
On December 9, 2024, Mr. Eduardo Hernandez, President of the Planetarium Torreon of Mexico and his team, including Mr. Cosme Garcia, Counsellor for Education, Science and Technology Cooperation from the Embassy of Mexico in Japan, visited NAOJ Mitaka Campus.
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Science December 13, 2024
Planets Form Through Domino Effect
New radio astronomy observations of a planetary system in the process of forming show that once the first planets form close to the central star, these planets can help shepherd the material to form new planets farther out. In this way each planet helps to form the next, like a line of falling dominos each triggering the next in turn.
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Topics December 2, 2024
Supercomputer “ATERUI III” Opens New Era of Simulation Astronomy
The Center for Computational Astrophysics at NAOJ has introduced the HPE Cray XD2000 system as a new supercomputer to replace the current dedicated astronomy supercomputer “ATERUI II.” The operation of the new system began on December 2, 2024, at NAOJ Mizusawa Campus in Oshu City, Iwate Prefecture. The new system has been nicknamed NS-06 “ATERUI III,” inheriting the name from its predecessor.
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Science October 25, 2024
Re-analysis of Data from Milky Way Central Supermassive Black Hole Observations
A research team led by Assistant Professor Makoto Miyoshi of the NAOJ has independently re-analyzed observation data of the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy obtained and published by the international joint observation project EHT. They found that the structure is slightly elongated in the east-west direction. This research takes a new look at the publicly available EHT data and demonstrates the scientific process in which the certainty of the answer increases as different researchers continue to examine and discuss a theory.