Gekko Observatory

Gekko Observatory, known in Japanese as Gekko Tenmondai or the “Moonlight Observatory”, stands at 312 metres elevation in Kannami, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.

About Gekko Observatory

Founded in 1957 by members of the Ananaikyo religious organisation, the observatory is owned by the International Foundation for Cultural Harmony and carries the IAU observatory code 888. Its name, meaning “moonlight”, reflects its origins as a site combining spiritual and scientific purpose.

History

Between 1987 and 2000, astronomers Yoshiaki Oshima and Tetsuo Kagawa used the site to discover 172 minor planets, a run of work that placed Gekko Observatory 40th in the world for total asteroid discoveries by the year 2000. Asteroid 4261 Gekko is named after the observatory itself.

Telescopes & research

The observatory's asteroid-hunting programme relied on systematic sky surveys from its Shizuoka Prefecture site, contributing steadily to the Minor Planet Center's records over more than a decade of active discovery work.

Location & getting there

Gekko Observatory sits at 312 metres elevation in Shizuoka Prefecture, on Japan's main island of Honshu, within reach of the Izu Peninsula and Mount Fuji region.

Visiting Gekko Observatory

For current opening times and any tour arrangements, check the observatory's own website before travelling, as details can change.

See your named star from here

A site with this record of tracking asteroids across the sky is a fitting place to think about a fixed point in it: the right ascension and declination of a star named through Star Register can be found from here with any properly aimed telescope. Name a star or browse the catalogue.