JCPM Yakiimo Station

JCPM Yakiimo Station is an astronomical observatory station in Shimizu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, best known for a notable asteroid discovery in the early 1990s.

About JCPM Yakiimo Station

The station is registered with the Minor Planet Center under IAU Observatory Code 885. It forms part of Japan's network of small observatories that track asteroids and contribute positional measurements used in orbit calculations.

History

On 23 November 1990, Japanese astronomers Akira Natori and Takeshi Urata used JCPM Yakiimo Station to discover the asteroid 6042 Cheshirecat, a find that remains the station's best-documented contribution to astronomy.

Location & getting there

JCPM Yakiimo Station is located in Shimizu, a coastal district of Shizuoka Prefecture on Japan's main island of Honshu. As a working observing station rather than a public attraction, it has limited visitor infrastructure, so it is best appreciated as a point of astronomical history rather than a tourist stop.

Visiting JCPM Yakiimo Station

No public opening hours or tour information are documented for the site. Anyone interested in visiting should check current local sources or contact Japanese amateur astronomy associations, as facilities like this are often run by small teams rather than staffed for the public.

See your named star from here

The same skies that revealed asteroid 6042 Cheshirecat from Shimizu can also frame a star named in your honour. After you name a star with Star Register, its coordinates are yours to share with any observatory or telescope operator in Japan. Explore the star catalogue to find one nearby.