Hida Observatory

Hida Observatory is a solar research station run by Kyoto University, set high in the Japanese Alps in Gifu Prefecture, Japan.

About Hida Observatory

Founded in 1968 by Kyoto University in Kamitakara village, Hida Observatory was established after a search, beginning in 1961, for a site with clearer observing conditions away from light pollution. It sits at an elevation of roughly 1,430 metres in the northern Japanese Alps, a setting chosen specifically for solar observation.

History

Kyoto University began looking for an improved observing site in 1961 and opened Hida Observatory in the mountains of Gifu Prefecture in 1968. Since then it has grown into one of the university's key solar research facilities, adding new instruments over the following decades.

Telescopes & research

Hida's instruments include a 65cm refractor telescope from 1972, said to be the largest refracting telescope in Asia, alongside the Domeless Solar Telescope (DST) from 1979, the Solar Magnetic Activity Research Telescope (SMART) from 2003, and a 60cm reflector; a further Flare Monitoring Telescope originally at Hida has since been relocated to Peru. Researchers here study solar spectral events, solar flares, space weather forecasting and planetary observations.

Location & getting there

The observatory is in the Asia region, in Japan, in the mountainous Kamitakara area of Gifu Prefecture, at high altitude in the Japanese Alps. Its elevated, remote mountain setting is what gives it the clear, stable air prized for solar observation.

Visiting Hida Observatory

Kyoto University holds one public open day at the observatory each year. For current dates and any other visiting arrangements, check the observatory's official website before travelling.

See your named star from here

Hida's clear mountain air, prized by solar astronomers for decades, is just as good for looking for stars after dark. If you've named a star with Star Register, this is the kind of high-altitude site where its coordinates would be easy to trace on a clear night. Find your star's details in the star catalogue.