Subaru Telescope

An 8.2-meter optical-infrared telescope operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. Its wide-field imaging and adaptive optics support observations from visible to infrared wavelengths.

Primary mirror: The main light-collecting optical surface of a telescope. Subaru’s 8.2-meter primary mirror gathers light for its instruments.
Subaru Strategic Program: A set of major survey projects conducted with the Subaru Telescope. These projects use Subaru’s wide-field capabilities to address questions in cosmology and galaxy evolution.
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan: Japan’s national institution for astronomical research and observatories. NAOJ operates Subaru and directs its scientific programs.
Keck Observatory: An astronomical observatory on Mauna Kea with two 10-meter optical-infrared telescopes. Keck shares Subaru’s site but uses larger segmented mirrors and different observing strengths.
Dark matter: Matter inferred from its gravitational effects but not directly observed through emitted light. Subaru’s weak-lensing surveys map dark matter through its influence on galaxy images.
Prime-focus camera: A camera mounted at a telescope’s primary focus to image a wide field of view. Subaru’s Hyper Suprime-Cam uses the telescope’s prime focus to survey broad sky areas.
Hyper Suprime-Cam Survey: A wide-area optical imaging survey conducted with Hyper Suprime-Cam. It maps galaxies and dark-matter structure across large portions of the sky.
Mauna Kea Observatories: A collection of astronomical facilities on Mauna Kea in Hawaii. Subaru is one of the major observatories at this high-altitude site.
Gemini Observatory: An international observatory operating twin 8.1-meter telescopes in Hawaii and Chile. Gemini’s paired hemispheric facilities contrast with Subaru’s single-site survey strategy.
Weak gravitational lensing: Small distortions in distant galaxy images caused by intervening mass. Subaru imaging measures these distortions to reconstruct cosmic mass distributions.

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