Science July 7, 2021

Small Amount of Lithium Production in Classical Nova

A new study of lithium production in a classical nova found a production rate of only a couple of percent that seen in other examples. This shows that there is a large diversity within classical novae and implies that nova explosions alone cannot explain the amount of lithium seen in the current Universe. This is an important result for understanding both the explosion mechanism of classical novae and the overall chemical evolution of the Universe.

Science July 2, 2021

Observation, Simulation, and AI Join Forces to Reveal a Clear Universe

Japanese astronomers have developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) technique to remove noise in astronomical data due to random variations in galaxy shapes. This is a powerful new tool for analyzing big data from current and planned astronomy surveys.

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Science June 29, 2021

A New Type of Supernova Illuminates an Old One

A worldwide team of astronomers has discovered evidence for a new type of stellar explosion -- an electron-capture supernova. While this type has been theorized for over 40 years, this is the first observed example. These findings provide clues to the precursor of the Crab Nebula, a supernova observed by cultures all over the world in 1054.

Topics June 16, 2021

NAOJ Researchers Win 2021 MEXT Commendations for Science and Technology

Five members of NAOJ received awards in the 2021 Commendations for Science and Technology by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). These awards honor outstanding results in research and development or the promotion of public understanding in science and technology.

Science June 11, 2021

ALMA Discovers Earliest Gigantic Black Hole Storm

Researchers using the ALMA discovered a titanic galactic wind driven by a supermassive black hole 13.1 billion years ago. This is the earliest-yet-observed example of such a wind to date and is a telltale sign that huge black holes have a profound effect on the growth of galaxies from the very early history of the Universe.

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Topics June 7, 2021

NAOJ and the IAU Sign New Agreement for Continuation of the Office for Astronomy Outreach

NAOJ and the IAU signed a new agreement ensuring the continued operation of the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach (IAU OAO).

Topics May 26, 2021

Asia-Pacific Regional IAU Meeting to Be Held in Japan in Summer 2023

APRIM (Asia-Pacific Regional IAU Meeting), an international meeting of the IAU, will be held in Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture in the summer of 2023.

Science May 21, 2021

ALMA Discovers the Most Ancient Galaxy with Spiral Morphology

Analyzing data obtained with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), researchers found a galaxy with a spiral morphology by only 1.4 billion years after the Big Bang. This is the most ancient galaxy of its kind ever observed.

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Science May 14, 2021

Charting the Expansion History of the Universe with Supernovae

An international research team analyzed a database of more than 1000 supernova explosions and found that models for the expansion of the Universe best match the data when a new time dependent variation is introduced.

Science May 10, 2021

Star Formation Triggered by Cloud–Cloud Collisions

Japanese researchers have found that collisions of gas clouds floating in space precipitate the birth of star clusters.