Bisei Spaceguard Center

Bisei Spaceguard Center sits in the hills of Okayama Prefecture, Japan, in a town so committed to dark skies that it became the first International Dark Sky Community in Asia.

About Bisei Spaceguard Center

The Bisei Spaceguard Center (BSGC) stands adjacent to the Bisei Astronomical Observatory in Bisei-chō, Ibara, at about 427 metres elevation. Built between 1999 and 2000 by the Japan Space Forum with funding from Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, its running costs are covered by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), while its telescopes are staffed by the Japan Spaceguard Association.

Telescopes & research

BSGC exists to track hazards in orbit: its Bisei Asteroid Tracking Telescope for Rapid Survey (BATTeRS) programme uses a 1-metre Cassegrain telescope with a 3-degree field of view, backed by a 0.5-metre telescope that has operated since February 2000 and provides follow-up astrometric measurements. BATTeRS has discovered numerous minor planets and the periodic comet C/2001 W2 (BATTERS). One of its discoveries, minor planet 17286 Bisei, was named after the surrounding town.

Location & getting there

The center sits in the rural countryside of Ibara, Okayama Prefecture, in the town of Bisei, which became the first International Dark Sky Community in Asia thanks to efforts to limit light pollution around its observatories and Hoshizora ("starry sky") Park.

Visiting Bisei Spaceguard Center

Admission to the exhibition hall is free, and it is open daily from 8:30am to 4:00pm except Thursdays. Visitors can learn about Japan's space debris and asteroid tracking work through interactive exhibits; call the center at +81 866 87 9071 for current details before travelling.

See your named star from here

A facility built to track objects by their precise coordinates is a natural place to think about the exact position of a star named through star-register.eu. Browse the star catalogue or see our naming packages to find yours.