The NAOJ Chile Observatory annually participates in the Nobeyama Open campus events and presents exhibitions of the ALMA and ASTE telescopes in Chile.

This year’s event was held on Saturday, August 26. Although the sky was cloudy from the day before and it rained in the morning, it turned sunny and sometimes felt hot in the afternoon. At the ALMA/ASTE booth, the exhibition includes: a diorama model reproducing the geography of the ALMA site with indicators of antenna locations; the receiver to receive radio waves from astronomical objects; posters and movies. Researchers and engineers explained the latest scientific results of ALMA to visitors. The ALMA mini-lecture, which attracts many people every year, was very popular this year too and some sessions were overcrowded with some standees. This year’s lecture attracted about 200 people to the four sessions in total.

Credit: NAOJ

Credit: NAOJ

Another familiar attraction is the ALMA VR experience where people can have a virtual tour to the ALMA site in Chile using a virtual reality (VR) head set with projection of 360-degree panoramic view. Considering the strain on the eyes, this attraction is open to people over the age of 13. Visitors enjoyed the experience to feel the atmosphere of the ALMA site on the other side of the earth.

Credit: NAOJ

The ALMA/ASTE booth had a new attraction this year; “radio coloring” which is a simulation of making an image of an astronomical object based on data obtained from radio observations. Participants were given a grid sheet with a different number on each square. By filling each numbered square with a different color, a shape of an astronomical object appears. Kids were working on the coloring very eagerly.

The NAOJ Mitaka campus will hold Mitaka Open House Day 2017 on Friday, October 13 and Saturday October 14. Mitaka Open House Day 2017
Please come and enjoy many attractions presented by various projects.