Description

Geographical position 

Kwasan Observatory, Department of Astronomy, Kyoto University,
Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan

• 1941-1972 -- The Ikomayama Solar Observatory was established.
• 1958 -- The Kwasan and Ikomayama Observatories were united under the Faculty of Science, Kyoto University
• 1968 -- Hida Observatory was established.

Location 

Latitude 34°59’37’’ N, Longitude 135°47’37’’ E, Elevation 221m above mean sea level.

IAU observatory code 

377

Description of (scientific/cultural/natural) heritage 

The beginnings -- Kyoto University Observatory

Astronomical research at Kyoto University dates back to the Kyoto Imperial University School of Science and Technology, established in 1897. The astronomers initially made their observations on the grounds of the University. The observation of Comet Finlay (15P/Finlay) by Tetsuo Sasaki was carried out during this period, and the term Kyoto Observatory was used as the observation base.

In 1921, the Department of Physics in the Faculty of Sciences was divided to create the Department of Astrophysics. The base of the university observatory was renamed "Kyoto University Observatory" after 1921.
But observation conditions became bad with the opening of the tramway near the university, and its relocation was considered. In 1927, the landowner donated the Hanayama grounds in Yamashina-cho, Uji-gun (at that time) to the university, and the observatory was built after two years of construction.

Kwasan Observatory -- an Institution of Kyoto University

Kwasan (Hanayama) Observatory (1929), constructed by the architect Saburo Okura (1900--1983), is located on one of the peaks of the "Higashiyama" moutains (Kazanyama, 221m) behind the famous "Kiyomizu temple", and had been the main observing station of the institute since its foundation in 1929.

Issei YAMAMOTO (1889--1959), Professor for Astronomy at the University Kyoto, became in 1920 the first president of the Oriental Astronomical Association (OAA) which he had initiated, and he was the first director of Kwasan Observatory in Kyoto. Yamamoto acted as a bridge between the researchers and amateur astronomers. Kwasan Observatory is a research and education facility for students and postgraduates of Kyoto University College of Science.

Kwasan Observatory, attached to the Kyoto Imperial University, was, together with the Tokyo Astronomical Observatory (now the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, NAOJ), attached to the Tokyo Imperial University, an astronomical research center in Japan.
In 1958, the observatory became an official observatory, attached to the Faculty of Science, along with Kyoto University’s Ikomayama Solar Observatory (created 1941, closed 1972).

The History Room was the first established building in the observatory as a Meridian Room. The facility was created to accurately correct the observatory’s clock. Now it is converted into a Museum Building.

Main Building: A 9m diameter dome was installed on the Main Building, inaugurated in 1927, and equipped with a 30-cm-Refracting telescope from Kyoto University (later it was replaced by a 45-cm-lens); the gravity-powered day-crawlers are still in operation.

Annex: In a 3-m-diameter dome, an 18-cm-Refracting telescope is installed; this oldest refracting telescope was purchased by Kyoto University in 1910 for observations of Halley’s Comet in Hanayama Observatory.

Solar Building: "Taiyoh-kan" (Solar House) with 70-cm-Coelostat (1961) for observing the Sun.

After the construction of Hida Observatory in 1968, Kwasan Observatory has been playing an important role as a research station for analyzing data.

The New building at Kwasan Observatory was completed in 1979 for e.g. the main Computer Room and the Video data analysis room.

Hida Observatory

The new Hida Observatory was founded in 1968 for having best observing conditions in the Japanese northern Alps.

From top to bottom, the Domeless Solar Telescope (DST), the dome of the 65-cm-Refractor, the dome of the 60-cm-Reflector, the main building for lodging and dining, and the Solar Magnetic Activity Research Telescope.

Research topics are:
Solar Physics using the DST and SMART,
Solar and Space Plasma Physics using theoretical, numerical, and observational methods, in order to resolve the puzzles of highly explosive phenomena in space, especially magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) explosions and jets, using observations of solar flare data, stellar flares, and variable stars, also X-ray data,
Stellar Physics, studying stellar atmospheric structure and chemical composition, stellar active phenomena, stellar winds, cataclysmic variable stars, black holes, accretion disks, gamma-ray bursts.

History 

Instruments of Kwasan Observatory

• "Taiyoh-kan" (Solar House) with 70-cm-Coelostat (1961) were built at Kwasan Observatory.
  3-D visualization system was installed in "Taiyoh-kan" (2007)
  
  
• 18-cm-Refractor, Sartorius Ltd., Göttingen (1910), bought for observing Halley’s comet.
  The 18-cm (focal  length 3m) in a 5m-dome and with the Annex Building at Kwasan Observatory; a new solar H-alpha Lyot filter (1999) and a CCD camera imaging system (2001) were installed. In addition, a 5-inch-Refractor is mounted for observations of sunspots in white light.
  
  
• 45-cm-Refractor in a 9m-dome on the top of the main building of Kwasan Observatory (1927), a new 45-cm-lens (focal length 6.75cm, F/15), manufactured by Carl Zeiss, replaced the original 30-cm-lens.

Instruments of Hida Observatory

• 60-cm-Reflecting telescope, made by Tsugami Co. Ltd. (1965), already in 1968, it was transported from Kwasan Observatory to Hida Observatory.
  Focal length 3.3m (Newton focus: Main focus, F/ratio 5.5) and 12mm (Cassegrain focus, F/ratio 20.0).
  A spectrograph (1997) was installed at the focal plane of the 60-cm-Reflector. The 60-cm is now used for studying stellar atmospheres especially of variable stars.
  
  
• 65-cm-Refractor, Carl Zeiss Co. Ltd. (1972) in a 15-m-dome -- the largest refractor telescope in East Asia, dome and building were completed.
  It is used for studying planets (e.g. variation of the Martian atmosphere and clouds) and/or the nuclei of comets
  
  
• Domeless Solar Telescope (DST) (1979), Gregorian type Reflecting telescope (60cm aperture, focal length of objective mirror 3.15m, Total focal length 32m, F/53.7), Altazimuth mount,
  Horizontal Spectrograph (Czerny-Turner type, focal length 10m) and Vertical Spectrograph (Vacuumed Czerny-Turner type, focal length 14m)
  
  
• Flare Monitoring Telescope (FMT) (1992) was established at Hida Observatory for investigating the long-term variation of solar activity and explosive events.
  Housing of the Flare Telescope was completed at Hida Observatory (1994).
  The FMT consists of six telescopes in order to observe the Sun in:
  - the H-alpha-line center,
  - H-alpha-0.8 ├éngström,
  - H-alpha+0.8 ├éngström,
  - the prominence mode with the occulting disk to create artificial eclipse, and
  - the continuum
  - optical guiding system for accurate tracking the Sun.
  In 2010, it was moved from Hida to Ica University in Peru as part of CHAIN-project.
  
  
• High-resolutional Vector Magnetograph (1997) was installed at the Domeless Solar Telescope (DST).
  
  
• SMART -- Solar Magnetic Activity Research Telescope (2003) was completed at Hida Observatory:
  T1: For H-alpha full disk observations
  T2: For vector magnetic field measurements
  T3: For H-alpha/continuum high speed observations
  T4: Multipurpose telescope

State of preservation 

Kwasan Observatory is well preserved.

Comparison with related/similar sites 

A Domeless Solar Telescope existed on the isle of Capri, in Anacapri, Italy, manufactured by Carl Zeiss of Oberkochen, West Germany. It is a Coudé Reflector with 35-cm aperture and 445-cm focal length, which has been built according to an idea of by Karl-Otto Kiepenheuer (1910--1975), Fraunhofer Institute of Freiburg im Breisgau.

Threats or potential threats 

no threats

Present use 

Kwasan Observatory is used in cooperation with Hida Observatory for important scientific work.

In addition, Kwasan Observatory opened a Museum in a building, which was originally used for timekeeping, for the observatory’s precision pendulum clocks. The architect pointed out the historical importance of the old western-style building, and did not destroy it, but converted it into a Museum. The exhibition for the public shows

1. Historical astronomical instruments and Telescopes like e.g.:
- Hyde 10-cm-Refractor
- Transit Instrument by Faus (?),
- 30cm telescope, made by T. Cooke & Sons of York,

2. Clocks and Chronometer:
Pendulum clock by Riefler of Munich (Nr. 259)
Clock by Zento (?)
Chronometer by Seiko

3. Solar Spectrum:
Heliograph by Askania of Berlin
30-cm-Coelostat, made by Grubb Parsons of Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Calculation machines.

Astronomical relevance today 

Kwasan Observatory, founded in 1929, plays an important role as a research station for analyzing data since the construction of Hida Observatory in 1968, where most observing takes place.

In addition, the bew 3.8m-SEIMEI-Telescope (2018) with a petal-shaped segmented mirror, was installed in Okayama Observatory.

References

Bibliography (books and published articles) 

• Schmadel, Lutz: Dictionary of Minor Planet Names. Springer Science & Business Media 2003, p. 335, p. 183.
  
  
• Tamazawa, Harufumi: Sunspot observation by the cooperation of amateur astronomers and researchers in Japan in early 20th century as early citizen science program. Cambridge University Press 2021.
  
  
• Yamamoto, Issei & R. Furukawa: The Heavens 1 (1920),1 , p. 1-2.
  
  
• Yamamoto, Issei: The Heavens 6 (1926), 63, p. 1-22.
  
  
• Yamamoto, Issei: The Heavens 9 (1929), 103, p. 1-42.

Links to external sites 

• Observatorio Kwasan
  
  
• Kwasan Observatory -- Kwasan Observatory, History -- Kwasan Observatory, Instruments --
  
  
• Issei Yamamoto (1889--1959)
  
  
• Hida Observatory
  
  
• Kwasan and Hida Observatories, Kyoto University
  
  
• Astronomical Observatory, Kyoto University (in Japanese, The Heavens, Vol. IX, 1929, with historical photos)