Peer Life Coaches organize evening of EAA stargazing on Ookayama Campus

The 10th Evening Seminar, held by the Student Support Center's Student Success Support Section on December 18, 2023, once again brought to Tokyo Tech's Ookayama Campus an electronically assisted astronomy (EAA) observation session organized by Tokyo Tech's Peer Life Coaches ― volunteer students affiliated with the Section.

Ten Tokyo Tech students from various years of study, including three international students, participated in this event. They observed the skies using a refracting telescope and electronically assisted observing, a technique where a camera projects images of celestial bodies onto a screen. This allowed the students to enjoy observing nebulae and star clusters that are difficult to see with the naked eye from urban areas.

On Ookayama Campus, the impact of urban light pollution is significant, making it difficult to see faint celestial bodies with the naked eye. However, by combining special filters to mitigate light pollution and using astronomy cameras for real-time image processing, it becomes possible to project onto a screen images of celestial bodies that are challenging to see.

Using this technology, participants were able to observe in real time the Andromeda Galaxy, the Pleiades, and the Orion Nebula on a screen. As time passed, the image noise decreased and the celestial bodies became clearer, allowing simultaneous observation of these changes.

Participants heard explanations of astronomical bodies by the coaches while observing the real-time captured images on the screen, and also experienced the "old-school method" of observation using telescopes and binoculars. Particularly the sight of Jupiter and Saturn's rings through the refracting telescope elicited cheers and heightened excitement among the participants.

This observation session was realized through the collaboration of coaches Daiki Ikeda, a 2nd-year Electrical and Electronic Engineering student, and Taiyo Isomoto, a 2nd-year Mechanical Engineering student. The duo was supervised by Iori Kokubo, a 1st-year master's student in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and Kazuki Hayashi, a 1st-year master's student in Mechanical Engineering. Drawing from their experiences in the Astronomy Club, these four individuals aim to continue organizing projects that introduce various celestial bodies depending on the season and provide opportunities for Tokyo Tech students to experience the allure of the night sky in Tokyo.

This event was made possible thanks to equipment borrowed from the Astronomy Club and the knowledge and support of club alum Shoichiro Fukunaga, a 4th-year student in Transdisciplinary Science and Engineering.