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| What is the Subaru telescope? |
The Subaru telescope is an optical-infrared astronomical telescope located at the summit area of Mauna Kea, Hawaii', with an 8.2-meter effective diameter primary mirror. Mauna Kea is one of the best sites for astronomical observations in the world and is home to 13 telescopes funded by 11 nations.
Subaru is Japan's premier optical-infrared telescope, and the only Japanese research facility located outside Japan. (One exception is Show a Base in Antarctica, an international
science preserve.) The National Astronomical Observatory (NAOJ), a member institute of the Japanese National Institutes of Natural Science, operates the Subaru telescope from a base facility located in Hilo Hawaii'.
The summit facility and the base facility together constitute NAOJ's Hawaii' Observatory, whose official English name is Subaru Telescope. Subaru Telescope is not related
to Fuji Heavy Industries that manufactures the Subaru brand of automobiles.
Subaru's primary purpose is to give Japanese astronomers access to a world-class observational facility at the optical and infrared wavelengths. Its secondary purpose is
to encourage research at the frontier of modern astronomy by allowing access to the telescope on the basis of scientific merit to astronomers of all nationalities.
| How does Subaru compare with other telescopes of comparable size? |
The Subaru telescope has the largest field of view among the world's large optical infrared telescopes with light collecting capacities of a 8 meter or larger primary mirror. This makes it the world's most efficient telescope for searching for faint celestial objects. These may be small bodies, like the siblings of Pluto at the edge of our solar system, or the most distant known galaxies.
Subaru is also a very versatile telescope. It has four foci for mounting scientific instruments, and a total of 8 cameras and spectrographs for carrying out a wide range of science programs. To achieve a wide field of view, Subaru mounts scientific instruments to its prime focus at the top of the telescope. (Photographers may be interested to know that this allows the telescope to function as an f/2 camera. )
The stringent engineering requirements required for mounting a multi-ton scientific instrument on the top of the telescope led to a very sturdy telescope design. The sturdy design also allows Subaru to track celestial objects with exceptional precision as they transit the sky. The movement of the 550 ton 22 meter tall telescope can be controlled with micrometer precision without wavering. An astronomer would say that Subaru can track objects to within 0.1 arcseconds without any other additional technology.This precision is comparable to keeping your gaze steady on a car driving down a highway in Memphis, Tennessee, while sitting in a lounge chair in Hilo, Hawaii'.
Combine Subaru's inherently precise tracking ability, great location, large, smooth,single-piece mirror, and you get arguably the world's best telescope for imaging at optical and infrared wavelengths.
| What are some interesting past results? |
The single largest contribution Subaru is making to modern astronomy is in permitting the study of the most distant galaxies in large numbers. Astronomers are using Subaru to find distant galaxies and to understand their properties as a group.
In space-time, seeing into the distance is also looking into the past. Studying distant galaxies in large numbers also enables astronomers to understand how the universe has changed over time. Subaru contributed to the unexpected discovery in the past decade that the universe is now expanding faster than before, propelled by a force that can push galaxies apart that astronomers now call dark energy.
For a somewhat objective view of Subaru's scientific achievements, see the top 10 scientific results from Subaru Telescope between 2000 and 2004 as judged by how frequently professional astronomers refer to the scientific papers announcing the results. For a more subjective view, take a look at Subaru's website.
| What are some examples of exciting new research? |
In the next six months, researchers will be using Subaru to:
- Study the physical properties of different types of distant galaxies and the implication of these properties for the universe's past.
- Study the properties of individual stars in the Milky Way and nearby galaxies which can provide fossil evidence for the universe's past, and an independent confirmation of results from studies of distant galaxies.
- Study the physical and chemical environments in the birth places of stars and planets.
- Study the detailed properties of supernova, currently the most important probes of how the universe has expanded over time.
- Search and study planets orbiting stars other than the Sun.
One exciting new development at Subaru is the completion of MOIRCS, a multi-object infrared camera and spectrograph. MOIRCS is the first infrared spectrograph that can obtain the spectrum of multiple objects to become available on a 8-meter or larger telescope. Spectra allow the study of the physical and chemical properties of objects at a distance, and also allow astronomers to confirm relative distances to celestial objects by determining how fast they are moving away due to the expansion of the universe. Because, the expansion of the universe shifts the bulk of the light emitted from distant galaxies from optical to infrared wavelengths, MOIRCS is the ideal tool for studying the detailed properties of distant objects that Subaru is do adept at finding.
| Does Subaru have other selling points besides its science and technology? |
Subaru is a training site for graduate students enrolled in Japanese universities. For example, graduate students living and working in Hilo, Hawaii', were major contributors to the design and fabrication of Subaru's new instrument MOIRCS.
As a Japanese facility in Hawaii' for researchers of all nationalities, Subaru understands the importance of being a good neighbor. In addition to our efforts at public information through local and national media, we engage in educational outreach in our local community.
Subaru is the only telescope on Mauna Kea that offers guided tours of its summit facility during the day. Details are available on our website.
| What resources does Subaru make available to the press? |
Subaru releases several press releases a year which are usually accompanied by images and other supplementary material. The press may use these freely for news-type articles. For other purposes, we ask people to submit a request for use.
Although not on our public website, high resolution images from Subaru's optical wide field camera, Suprime-Cam, and video footage of the telescope are also available.
We are also happy to accommodate the press for special tours of the telescope.
| How can I find answers to other questions? |
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