Topics February 27, 2023

Ambassador of Chile to Japan Visits NAOJ

On February 3, 2023, Ambassador of the Republic of Chile to Japan, His Excellency Mr. Ricardo G. Rojas, visited NAOJ Mitaka Campus.

Science February 16, 2023

Tadpole Playing Around Black Hole

A peculiar cloud of gas, nicknamed the Tadpole due to its shape, appears to be revolving around a space devoid of any bright objects. This suggests that the Tadpole is orbiting a dark object, most likely a black hole 100,000 times more massive than the Sun. Future observations will help determine what is responsible for the shape and motion of the Tadpole.

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

Topics February 14, 2023

NASA Associate Administrator Thomas Zurbuchen Visits NAOJ Mitaka Campus

A delegation of NASA officials, including Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate Thomas Zurbuchen and Astrophysics Division Director Mark Clampin, visited NAOJ Mitaka Campus on December 1, 2022.

Science February 3, 2023

Outflows from Baby Star Affect Nearby Star Formation

New observations show an outflow of high-speed gas from one baby star colliding with a nearby dense cloud of gas where other stars are in the process of being born. These observations clearly show the outflow from a baby star affecting a neighboring star forming cloud.

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

Science January 27, 2023

Starry Tail Tells the Tale of Dwarf Galaxy Evolution

A giant diffuse tail of stars has been discovered emanating from a large, faint dwarf galaxy. The presence of a tail indicates that the galaxy has experienced recent interaction with another galaxy. This is an important clue for understanding how so called “ultra-diffuse” galaxies are formed.

Science January 11, 2023

Model-Independent Method to Weigh Protoplanetary Disks

Astronomers have found a way to directly measure the amount of gas in protoplanetary disks without needing to make assumptions about the relative amounts of different types of gas, making this method more accurate and robust than previous methods.

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

Topics January 6, 2023

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

A new-year’s message from the Director General Saku Tsuneta

Topics December 21, 2022

Experience the Diversity of Astronomy Observatories Virtually

Virtual Reality 3D showcases of the Subaru Telescope, Observatory History Museum, and Solar Tower Telescope available for you to enjoy.

Science December 15, 2022

Machine Learning Reveals How Black Holes Grow

Machine learning has deduced the rules governing the relationship between the growth of a galaxy and the growth of the supermassive black hole at its center. The tight correlation between the two growth rates found in this research confirms a decades-old theory.

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

Topics December 7, 2022

Samurai Astronomers’ Letters to be Registered as an Important Cultural Property

Seigaku Shukan, a set of Edo Period documents held by NAOJ, is going to be registered as an Important Cultural Property, according to a report from the Council for Cultural Affairs to the MEXT Minister on November 18, 2022.