天文台カフェ 『星の光りの澄みわたり』/Astronomical Observatory Café


2022
111日@倉敷の小さな民間天文台

いつも倉敷を訪れると必ず、もうかれこれ15年前に、医療機関で医療英語通訳をしていた時にお仲間だった素敵な先輩と逢います。今回も星の光の澄みわたりと言う、名前の響きも美しい、宇宙や天文、芸術・美術・文学の書籍が並ぶ、古い天文台を改築したカフェへ案内いただきました。手作りケーキとコーヒーが美味しく、落ち着いて読書をしたり、くつろいで話しをするのに良い場所です。こうした古い文化施設も大切に保存し、新しい形で歴史を残すと言う倉敷市の素晴らしい試みのひとつであると感じました。これから宇宙や物理が身近になっていく時代に、もう既に地元の若い人たちで満席でしたが・・密かに倉敷の新しい観光名所、また人々のたまり場になりそうな予感がしました。

 

倉敷天文台について

倉敷天文台は、大正時代に広く一般に天文知識を普及するため、大正15年(1926)、元倉敷町長の原澄治氏の私財によって、大原美術館開館よりも5年前に設立された日本最初の民間天文台だそうです。観測室の規模は、東西4.4m、南北5.3mで、1.1mのレンガ造りの基礎の上に、桁高2.2mの木造下見張りの軸部が乗っています。

 

また倉敷天文台主事を務め、人生で彗星12個、新星11個を発見した世界的な天文家・本田實氏(倉敷市名誉市民)は、この天文台で数多くの新しい星を発見したそうです。倉敷天文台の歴史と、本田實の研究・功績を紹介した記念館が同じ敷地にあります。こちらへは伺えませんでした。とても珍しい構造を有しており科学史上においても貴重な建物として, 2001年8/28に国の登録有形文化財に登録されました。本田氏生誕100年の2013年市が創立当時に近い姿で、ライフパーク倉敷に移築・復元をしたそうです。倉敷天文台は、建て替えた新観望室で天体観望会を行っているそうです。

Quoted from Kurashiki City HP

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Astronomical Observatory Café "Hoshino Hikari no Sumiwatari"

At a small private observatory in Kurashiki on November 1, 2022

Every time I visit Kurashiki, I always meet a wonderful friend who was my colleague 15 years ago when I was involved in medical English interpreter at a medical institution. This time, I was guided to a café in a renovated old astronomical observatory, where books, such as astronomy, art and literature are lined up on space. Homemade cakes and coffee are delicious and it's a good place to relax reading or chatting. I felt that it was one of Kurashiki City's great attempts to carefully preserve such old cultural facilities and leave history in a new usage. In the near future, when space and physics become familiar, I have a feeling that (although the place was already crowded with young locals...) It would more become a new sightseeing spot in Kurashiki and a place for people to hang out. 

 

What is a private Kurashiki observatory?

In addition, Mr. Minoru Honda (Honorary Citizen of Kurashiki City), a world-famous astronomer who has discovered 12 comets and 11 new stars in his life time, it is said to have discovered many new stars at this observatory. A memorial hall that introduces the history of the Kurashiki Observatory and the research and achievements of Minoru Honda is located on the same site. I couldn't come here this time. It has a very unique structure and was registered as a National Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 28, 2001 as a valued building in the history of science. In 2013, on the 100th anniversary of Mr. Honda's birth, the city was relocated and restored to Life Park Kurashiki in a similar way to when it was founded. The Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory holds stargazing parties in the freshly rebuilt observatory.

 

The Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory was established 5 years before the Ohara Museum of Art opened in 1926 with the private property of former Kurashiki town mayor Mr. Sumiharu Hara. It's a private observatory. The size of the observation room is 4.4m from east to west and 5.3m from north to south, and a wooden siding with a girder height of 2.2m sits on top of a 1.1m brick foundation. In addition, Mr. Minoru Honda (Honorary Citizen of Kurashiki City), a world-famous astronomer who has discovered 12 comets and 11 new stars in his life time, it is said to have discovered many new stars at this observatory. A memorial hall that introduces the history of the Kurashiki Observatory and the research and achievements of Minoru Honda is located on the same site. I couldn't come here this time. It has a very unique structure and was registered as a National Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 28, 2001 as a valued building in the history of science. In 2013, on the 100th anniversary of Mr. Honda's birth, the city was relocated and restored to Life Park Kurashiki in a similar way to when it was founded. The Kurashiki Astronomical Observatory holds stargazing parties in the freshly rebuilt observatory.