The National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (国立天文台 , kokuritsu tenmondai ) (NAOJ ) is an astronomical research organisation comprising several facilities in Japan , as well as an observatory in Hawaii and Chile . It was established in 1988 as an amalgamation of three existing research organizations - the Tokyo Astronomical Observatory of the University of Tokyo , International Latitude Observatory of Mizusawa , and a part of Research Institute of Atmospherics of Nagoya University .
NAOJ is involved in the construction of ALMA .[1]
In the 2004 reform of national research organizations, NAOJ became a division of the National Institutes of Natural Sciences .
65cm refractor dome, now Observatory History Museum
VERA Ishigakijima Station
Subaru Telescope
Mitaka Campus (Mitaka, Tokyo . 35°40′31″N 139°32′17″E )
The Headquarters, Astronomy Data Center, Advanced Technology Center, Public Relations Center
Solar Flare Telescope, Sunspot Telescope, TAMA 300 gravitational wave detector
Tokyo Photoelectric Meridian Circle
Historical instruments: Solar Tower Telescope, 65cm refractor dome, 20cm refractor dome
Nobeyama Radio Observatory[2] (Minamimaki, Nagano , 35°56′28″N 138°28′13″E )
45m Millimeter Radio Telescope, Nobeyama Radio Polarimeter
Decommissioned instruments: Nobeyama Millimeter Array, Nobeyama Radio Heliograph
Mizusawa VLBI Observatory (Ōshū, Iwate . 39°08′06″N 141°08′00″E )
VERA Mizusawa Station (20m radio telescope), 10m VLBI radio telescope
Historical building: Dr. Kimura Museum
VERA Ogasawara Station (Ogasawara . 27°05′30″N 142°13′00″E )
20m radio telescope
VERA Iriki Station (Iriki . 31°44′52″N 130°26′24″E )
20m radio telescope
VERA Ishigakijima Station (Ishigakijima . 24°24′43.83″N 124°10′15.58″E )
20m radio telescope
KAGRA (Hida , Gifu . 36°24′42.84″N 137°18′20.88″E )
KAGRA gravitational wave telescope
Ishigakijima Observatory (Ishigakijima )
Murikabushi telescope
Hawaii Observatory (Hawaii )
Subaru 8m telescope (Mauna Kea ). 19°49′33″N 155°28′35″W )
Hilo Base Facility (Hilo, Hawaii . 19°42′10″N 155°05′25″W )
Chile Observatory (Atacama Desert , Chile )
Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array
Atacama Submillimeter Telescope Experiment (ASTE)
Decommissioned Facilities
Norikura Solar Observatory (Mount Norikura, Nagano , 36°07′01″N 137°33′09″E )
Formerly under NAOJ and decommissioned in 2010. Building reused for research purposes, including non-astronomical work for the National Institute of Natural Sciences .
Okayama Astrophysical Observatory (Mount Chikurinji in Asakuchi , Okayama . 34°34′34″N 133°35′39″E )
Facility still belongs to NAOJ, but its 188cm telescope is now operated by the Tokyo Institute of Technology .[3]
Decommissioned telescopes: 91cm telescope, 65cm Coude-Type solar telescope
In 2004, NAOJ, in alliance with four other national institutes – the National Institute for Basic Biology , the National Institute for Fusion Science , the National Institute for Physiological Sciences , and the Institute for Molecular Science – established the National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS) to promote collaboration among researchers of the five constituent institutes.[4]