Topics January 13, 2021

A new-year’s message from the Director General, NAOJ

A new-year’s message from the Director General of NAOJ, Dr. Saku Tsuneta

Science December 18, 2020

Compressive Fluctuations Heat Ions in Space Plasma

New simulations carried out in part on the ATERUI II supercomputer in Japan have found that the reason ions exist at higher temperatures than electrons in space plasma is because they are better able to absorb energy from compressive turbulent fluctuations in the plasma.

Topics December 18, 2020

The Subaru Telescope Photographs the Next Target Asteroid for Hayabusa2

On December 10, 2020 (Hawaiʻi Standard Time), the Subaru Telescope imaged the small asteroid 1998 KY26, the target of Hayabusa2’s extended mission.

Science December 8, 2020

Study Confirms Dark Coating Can Reduce Satellite Reflectivity

Observations conducted by the Murikabushi Telescope of Ishigakijima Astronomical Observatory confirmed that dark coating can reduce satellite reflectivity by half.

Topics November 26, 2020

The Subaru Telescope Hails Return of Hayabusa2

On November 20, 2020 (HST), the Subaru Telescope captured Hayabusa2 on its way back to Earth after exploring the asteroid (162173) Ryugu.

Science November 26, 2020

Earth Faster, Closer to Black Hole in New Map of Galaxy

Earth just got 7 km/s faster and about 2000 light-years closer to the supermassive black hole in the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. But don...

This article is including a link to a article for kids.

Science October 28, 2020

Galaxies in the Infant Universe were Surprisingly Mature

Massive galaxies were already much more mature in the early universe than previously expected.

Science October 12, 2020

Studying the Sun as a Star to Understand Stellar Flares and Exoplanets

The sunspots cause some emissions to dim and others to brighten; the timing of the changes also varies between different types of emissions. This knowledge will help astronomers characterize the conditions of stars, which has important implications for finding exoplanets around those stars.

Science September 29, 2020

Second Alignment Plane of Solar System Discovered

Analytical investigation of the orbits of long-period comets shows that the aphelia of the comets, the point where they are farthest from the Sun, tend to fall close to either the well-known ecliptic plane where the planets reside or a newly discovered “empty ecliptic.”

Science September 25, 2020

Pair of Massive Baby Stars Swaddled in Salty Water Vapor

Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), astronomers spotted a pair of massive baby stars growing in salty cosmic soup.