A Graceful Carl Zeiss 20 cm Refractor Telescope

NAOJ Mitaka Campus

Nikon Kenkyukai Tokyo visited the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) Mitaka Campus.
We visited the Mitaka, in order to meet Mr. Masao Nakagiri.
Mr. Nakagiri is a famous astronomer in Japan.
He lived in Hawaii during eight years for investigation and construction of the Subaru Telescope.

He retired from the NAOJ, but he returned to the NAOJ again by the scientist's request.
He is working in the NAOJ Public Relations Center. He is collecting old historical astronomical observation equipment now.
His great achievements have been reporting by the Archives Newspaper.
You can read his Archives Newspaper. However, they are Japanese.

We took a walk in the NAOJ Mitaka campus by Mr. Nakagiri's interesting guidance.

Mr. Masao Nakagiri, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ)

The 20cm Telescope Dome, Taisyo 10 (1921)

Very Beautiful 20 cm Refractor Telescope, Made in 1927 by Carl Zeiss

Great Heliograph, Made in 1909 by Steinheil

Very Graceful Vintage Telescope, She is working happily now!!

Einstein Tower

Because the tower itself functions as a telescopic tube, Einstein Tower is also referred to as the "Tower Telescope".
The building is 18.6 m high, with five floors above ground and one basement floor.
The Solar Tower Telescope was nicknamed the "Einstein Tower" after the astrophysical observatory named Einstein Tower in Potsdam, Germany that was built to validate Einstein's general relativity theory through sunlight observations.
The building in Mitaka has the same structure and functions, so it became known as the "Einstein Tower".

Solar Tower Telescope, Einstein Tower, Syowa 5 (1930)

The door was opened specially today

Very Old Coelostat Made by Carl Zeiss

How the Einstein Tower Works

Very Vintage Observation Room of the 1930s

Old Precious Observation Equipment
Basement Floor of the Einstein Tower

The Camera Lens of a Spectroscope

The Big Camera used for Solar Eclipse Observation

Various Cameras used for Solar Eclipse Observation

Type 1 Shooting Inspection Camera, Showa 18 (1943) Made by Rokuoh-sha

The Old Tenmon Geppo (Astronomical Monthly Report) Collection

From the 45th Volume (1952) to the 47th Volume (1954)

The 65cm Big Telescope Dome

The 65 cm Telescope Dome is a giant building; it is 19.5 m high and has a dome with an impressive diameter of 15 m.
At the time of construction, the builders did not have the skill to create a semi-spherical dome, so shipbuilders skilled in making ship hulls were brought in to help.

Boasting the largest aperture among refractor telescope in Japan, this was mainly used for determining the positions of stars.
This has retired from observational research as of March 1988, but can still be used for observation.

The 65 cm Big Telescope Dome, Taisho 15 (1926)

Shipbuilding technology of Japan is used for the dome

The Carl Zeiss 65 cm Big Refractor Telescope

Mr. Nakagiri explained the history of space observation and telescope

Transit Instrument Museum

The correct ascension of the planets and major asteroids were observed in this building using the Repsold transit instrument.

Transit Instrument Museum

Repsold Transit Instrument, Made in Germany 1880

Various precious historical transit instruments are exhibited

The Gautier meridian circle is an observation instrument that was used to determine the precise positioning of celestial objects.
Design was considered important; note the constructing shapes of the semicircular dome and a trapezoid roof cover the entrance.

The Observation Room of Gautier Meridian Circle

The Gautier Meridian Circle, Made in France 1903

Photoelectric Meridian Circle

The photoelectric meridian circle is an observation facility with a specially-equipped telescope (meridian circle) installed to determine the precise positioning of celestial objects.

Now, in order to establish the National Astronomical Museum, many pieces of astronomical observation equipment is collected in this building.
Mr. Nakagiri opened the door of the storehouse and showed the super collection for us.

The Observation Room of Photoelectric Meridian Circle

Exhibition Model of the Norikura Solar Observatory

The Nikon 10 cm coronagraph of Norikura Solar Observatory

Great Historical Astronomical Observation Equipment

20 cm Brashear Astrograph, Made in U.S.A.

Solar Monochrome Heliograph, Made in France

Nikon 20 cm Refractor Telescope

This 20 cm Nikon telescope was in Utsunomiya University

Another Nikon 20 cm Refractor Telescope

This 20 cm Nikon telescope was in Akita University

This painted black telescope is a Schmidt camera.
Mr. Nakagiri discovered and rescued this from the corner of the warehouse!!
This was the special camera which Nippon Kogaku developed for the Imperial Japanese Navy in 1940s era.

Very Old Japanese Schmidt Telescope
Lens aperture: 19 cm
Focal length: 17 cm
Aperture ratio: 0.9

Shooting Star Astrograph by Four Nikkor 20 cm F3.5 Lenses

Historical Vintage Theodolites

Old Chronometers

The Newest Astronomical Observation System

In order to know the newest astronomical observation system, we went into the exhibition room.
Research projects at NAOJ are introduced with exhibits such as panels and models.
There are also miniature of the Subaru Telescope and the Nobeyama 45 m Radio Telescope and the ALMA diorama.

Thirty Meter Telescope
The Next Generation Extremely Large Telescope

The 45 m Radio Telescope of NAOJ Nobeyama

Mr. Nakagiri and the Subaru Telescope

Mr. Nakagiri loves the Subaru Telescope very much.
He lived in Hawaii during eight years from 1994 to 2002 of the Subaru Telescope construction time.

ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array)

The Solar Observation Satellite Hinode (Solar-B)

He was engaged in development of the Solar Observation Satellite Hinode (Solar-B) from 2002 to 2006. The Hinode is working happily now in the universe.

Big Happy Meeting in Mitaka

It was very interesting happy meeting in Mitaka.
The astronomers who are doing new research live together with the old astronomical observation equipment in NAOJ Mitaka campus.

They are alive even if old.
Happiness is desired even if old.
Since it is old, it is new.
This is the great culture of Japan.
In the astronomical observatory in Japan, Samurai Bushido is alive.

Thank you very much for Mr. Masao Nakagiri.

Mr. Nakagiri and Nikon Kenkyukai Boys and Girls

Special Thanks to;
National Institutes of Natural Sciences
The National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
Public Relations Center
Archives Division