[READING] Black Hole Hunters at Japan’s National Astronomical Observatory Turn to Crowdfunding After Budget Cuts
Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2022 12:12 pm
Faced with budget cuts, scientists studying black holes at a Japanese observatory have turned to crowdfunding to help fund their research.
Funding Cutting-Edge Research
The National Astronomical Observatory of Japan’s Mizusawa VLBI Observatory in Ōshū, Iwate Prefecture, is an important center in the effort to unlock the mysteries of black holes. Honma Mareki, the observatory’s director, was a member of the Event Horizon Telescope, an array of synched radio observatories spanning the globe, that published the groundbreaking photo of a black hole at the center of the Messier 87 galaxy in 2019.
In recent years, though, the observatory has seen its funding from the government shrink, raising concerns for the Japanese study of black holes. The Mizusawa observatory decided to take matters into its own hands and set up a crowdfunding page with the goal of bringing in ¥10 million. The campaign is the first time for an NAOJ facility to turn to alternative financing to raise money.
Founded in 1988, the NAOJ is an inter-university research institute that plays a vital role in promoting astronomy research through the open use of its facilities. However, Honma notes that since maintenance of observatories and other facilities take budgetary priority, recent cuts have impacted employment and government-funded research projects at NAOJ sites.
Looking for alternative sources of revenue, researchers at the Mizusawa Observatory launched their crowdfunding page on April 20. They opted for an all-or-nothing campaign, with all the money raised to be returned to donors unless they hit their funding goal by the deadline of June 17. The response has been overwhelming, with donations easily topping the initial goal. Honma says the money will be used to help bring up the next generation of astronomers who will further unravel the secrets of black holes.
Funding Cutting-Edge Research
The National Astronomical Observatory of Japan’s Mizusawa VLBI Observatory in Ōshū, Iwate Prefecture, is an important center in the effort to unlock the mysteries of black holes. Honma Mareki, the observatory’s director, was a member of the Event Horizon Telescope, an array of synched radio observatories spanning the globe, that published the groundbreaking photo of a black hole at the center of the Messier 87 galaxy in 2019.
In recent years, though, the observatory has seen its funding from the government shrink, raising concerns for the Japanese study of black holes. The Mizusawa observatory decided to take matters into its own hands and set up a crowdfunding page with the goal of bringing in ¥10 million. The campaign is the first time for an NAOJ facility to turn to alternative financing to raise money.
Founded in 1988, the NAOJ is an inter-university research institute that plays a vital role in promoting astronomy research through the open use of its facilities. However, Honma notes that since maintenance of observatories and other facilities take budgetary priority, recent cuts have impacted employment and government-funded research projects at NAOJ sites.
Looking for alternative sources of revenue, researchers at the Mizusawa Observatory launched their crowdfunding page on April 20. They opted for an all-or-nothing campaign, with all the money raised to be returned to donors unless they hit their funding goal by the deadline of June 17. The response has been overwhelming, with donations easily topping the initial goal. Honma says the money will be used to help bring up the next generation of astronomers who will further unravel the secrets of black holes.