Geisei observatory

Geisei Observatory sits in Geisei, Kôchi Prefecture, on Japan's island of Shikoku, and is best known as a prolific asteroid-hunting site.

About Geisei Observatory

The observatory has operated under director Tsutomu Seki, a well-known Japanese astronomer, and has built its reputation on systematic minor-planet searches from its Kôchi Prefecture site.

Telescopes & research

Geisei Observatory has been credited with the discovery of more than 200 asteroids, including 13553 Masaakikoyama, 5209 Oloosson, and 3431 Nakano, the last of which was found on 24 August 1984. Beyond asteroid work, Tsutomu Seki is also known for comet research and leads the Comet Section of the Oriental Astronomical Association.

Location & getting there

The observatory is set in Geisei, Kôchi Prefecture, on Shikoku, one of Japan's four main islands, an area of coastline and mountain terrain southwest of Osaka.

Visiting Geisei Observatory

We don't have confirmed public opening hours for this site. If you plan to visit, check current visitor information before travelling, as many discovery-focused observatories like this one balance research schedules with public access.

See your named star from here

Given Geisei's long record of tracking faint moving objects across the sky, it's a fitting kind of place to think about the fixed coordinates of a star you've named. Name a star and look it up in the catalogue to find its right ascension and declination.