Research Support
SPIRITS

Study of Beginning Phase of Astronomy and Geoscience in Kyoto University

Project Gist

Revealing the amazing history of astronomy and geosciences in Kyoto-city and Kyoto University

Keywords

history of science, family tree of researchers, outreach, international contributions, social contributions

Background, Purpose, and Project Achievements

From the viewpoint of the study of the beginning phase of astronomy and geoscience in Kyoto University, we have performed systematic analysis of documentations remained in Yamamoto Observatory, which were donated to Kyoto University from the family of Issei Yamamoto (1st director of Kwasan Observatory of Kyoto University) in February of 2011. In particular, we spotlighted Issei Yamamoto, Shinzo Shinjo, Toshi Shida, Motonori Matsuyama, Yasuaki Iba, Mutsumi Ishitsuka, and then presented the research results about these pioneering researchers during the special exhibition of Kyoto University Museum “Meigetsuki and the Latest View of the Universe” in the period from Sep. 3, 2014 to Oct 19, 2014.

Future Prospects

We will develop the study of the family tree of pioneering researchers of astronomy and geosciences in Kyoto University. Further, we hope to put the guide plate of the beginning place of the astronomy and geosciences in Kyoto University. In future, we wish to construct the new space museum to exhibit these research results in Kwasan Observatory.

Figures

A photo of the special exhibition “Meigetsuki and the latest view of the universe” of the Kyoto University Museum

Principal Investigator

SHIBATA Kazunari

・SHIBATA Kazunari
・Kwasan and Hida Observatories, Graduate School of Science
・I have been studying physical mechanism of explosive phenomena in the Sun and the Universe in a unified way using magnetohydrodynamics. In recent years, my research area has been extended from solar flare research to space weather research, and finally to the surprising discovery of many superflares on solar type stars. My hobby is to collect geographical map, mahjang, to read books of Shigeo Nagashima, Tadao Uemsao, and Ryotaro Shiba.
http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~shibata/