Manaka, it looked like you chased after us in the heat of the moment.
Don't tell me you came without telling anyone.
No, I asked my parents and got their permission.
I also asked Suzu-san for an advance on my wages,
and Monroe-senpai and Sakura-senpai helped me book the flight.
That was audacious of you.
I was surprised at myself, too.
But I regretted not doing anything myself when my father was transferred.
Why did you keep it a secret, though?
That was Suzu-san's suggestion.
She said Sensei would definitely oppose the idea,
and if I'd told you, you would've told her.
That was good advice.
You're all so young.
Though, if you had actually asked me beforehand,
you could have accompanied us as an observer.
You'd still have to pay for accommodation yourself,
but it was in the application notes.
Well, you're here now, so you should try asking as nicely as you can.
I'll support you as best I can, too.
Thank you—Ow!
Are you okay?!
I really should read important notes more.
I feel so much better with Ao here, though.
I wonder what the other participants are like.
Ishigaki Youth Center
11. Shining Star Challenge!
Ishigaki Youth Center
Today's Educational Groups
Welcome
Shining Star Challenge
Ishigaki Island Star Festival
Amane Neon
Once you finish checking in, please wait in the training room.
Ao.
Yeah.
Excuse me.
Yes?
I-I'm Manaka.
I failed the written screening,
but would it be possible to at least observe?
My Feelings About Space and the Stars
What's this?
I organized the portion that wouldn't fit in my written application.
That's heavy!
Sorry about my student.
Is the organizer around?
Yes, over there.
Hirose-san! It's been a long time.
Hey.
Huh?
Hirose-san has been organizing this event since I attended.
Konohata Mira
Makita Shiho
Oh, so this is her?
The handful you mentioned on the phone.
The handful?
I'm sorry for being unreasonable.
No, I'm just surprised. I've never seen a student as gutsy as her before.
Well, I can't send you packing after you came this far.
Here.
Huh? Then...
Thank you so much!
Sorry about that.
Don't worry about it. It's our job to help children pursue their dreams.
I'm so glad!
Yeah!
She said she got permission to observe!
Good for her!
There's no way they'd send her back after she went all the way to Ishigaki Island.
You were actually worried about her the whole time. You're so cute.
Hey, Chikage!
It's been a whole year.
I'm happy I can come here with you again.
Wha... I'm just chaperoning their summer camp as an alumnus.
We're not here to have fun.
Sure.
So this is a life-size artificial satellite?
Yes! I was so impressed when I saw it
for the first time at our summer camp last year!
You and I may be part of the geology group,
but I think learning about astronomy like this is fun, too.
Yes.
Mira and Ao were so enthusiastic about asking everyone here about asteroids.
Yeah, they held up the guide and peppered her with questions.
They really love them, huh?
But going there without warning was too reckless.
You mean Ao-senpai?
She failed the screening, so she shouldn't be barging in.
You may be right, Nana-san.
What she did certainly doesn't merit praise.
Why did you all support her, then?
Over the past year, those two have been making strides toward
their dream of discovering an asteroid.
They gave it all they had, never accepting that it was beyond their reach.
They even managed to move in together, which everyone thought was reckless,
and now they finally have this chance.
Isolation...
But they should take action and move forward.
Seeing Ao-san refuse to give up makes me want to do all I can right now, too.
All I can do right now...
Motivation
Courage
Guts
Welcome to Ishigaki Island.
I'm your counselor, Hanashima.
Let's start by having everyone introduce themselves.
We'll start with you.
I'm Satou, a third-year.
I'm president of the science club.
Nice to meet you all.
There are several people here who aren't from earth science clubs.
I'm Tomori Asuka, a second-year! Astronomy club!
I came here from Honto. I love idols!
Huh?
I'm Makita Shiho, and I'm from Kyushu.
I like people.
Huh?
I'm Konohata Mira, a second-year!
I'm vice president of our earth sciences club, and I like Saturn and Cetus!
They make Mira seem normal.
Shining Star Challenge
The Shining Star Challenge, or Shiny Challenge, would take three days.
There would be lectures, tours of the observatory,
observations, presentations of our results, and much more!
Oh, hey, is that the limited-edition Kanto one?
Yeah. I brought it with me so I wouldn't get sleepy during observation,
but I'm so nervous, I haven't slept much.
Would you like one, Tomorin?
Tomorin? I like that nickname.
Thanks for the coffee!
Whoa, it's sweet!
Miracchi, do you have a sweet tooth?
Huh? No, not really.
She's making friends already.
You sure?
Wow.
Um, do you have a moment?
It's the girl who likes people.
I heard your exchange at the check-in desk.
You're here even though you failed the screening?
Yes. I couldn't just give up on it, so I followed in secret.
Wow. You seem so docile, but you're pretty bold.
I bet your brain is interesting.
My brain?
We're heading out for the tour.
Tell me the details later, okay?
What is she going to do to me?
This is the VERA Ishigaki Station.
Wow, it's huge!
The one used by the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan?
You sure know your stuff.
It's a similar antenna to the one that used to be in Tsukuba.
There are four of these antennas located throughout Japan,
Mizusawa
Iriki
Ogasawara
Ishigaki Island
and together, they create a radio telescope that's 2,300 kilometers in diameter.
This is a telescope?
Where do you look into it?
You don't look with your eyes.
You use radio signals and look at the data.
Huh? And you can see stars that way?
Makita-chan, are you a space case?
I do get called that sometimes, but I'm not.
The VERA mainly observes maser bodies that emit strong electromagnetic signals,
to try and create a 3-D map of the Milky Way.
A map?
Maser Source
Distance
Stellar Parallax
Relative VLBI
Earth
1 AU
Sun
We triangulate the astral bodies in space using their
stellar parallax to determine their precise position and motion.
So this time, we're going to have
the electromagnetic group use VERA to try and pinpoint a new maser object.
They can make maps of space, too.
I should tell Ino-senpai about this.
Wow, it's so big!
And it's kind of cute!
The Murikabushi Telescope has a 105-centimeter aperture.
It's the largest reflecting telescope in Kyushu, Okinawa.
Murky bush?
Murikabushi. It's the local name for the Pleiades.
Here, we conduct observations using visible and infrared light.
If you're hunting for asteroids, this is the one to use.
By "reflecting telescope," do they mean it uses mirrors rather than lenses?
Well, uh... the light reflects off the primary mirror and the secondary mirror...
Murikabushi is a Cassegrain reflector telescope.
It uses a primary concave mirror and a secondary convex mirror to form the image.
It has three focal lenses for research and observation, too.
You know a lot about telescopes!
I've never seen the stars through a telescope, though.
Huh?
Electromagnetic Group
Optical Group
Now that we're finished with the tour,
we'll be splitting into the electromagnetic group and the optical group.
Each group will get to try searching for celestial objects themselves.
I hope we get along, Tomorin, Makki!
Me, too.
Makki?
We'll begin our observations after dinner.
Make sure you eat up and give it your all.
Okay!
Huh? Ao and Sensei are gone.
Now that you mention it, so is my teacher.
Oh, I got a message.
They said they're grabbing dinner.
They don't provide meals for us, after all.
It's my treat tonight, so eat up.
Thank you.
I need to eat quick, since observation starts soon.
Yuki-chan, sorry for the wait!
Oh, over here!
Oh, that's the lady from the hall...
Makita's chaperone, Hayakawa.
She was in my group when I took part in the Shiny Challenge.
Man, to think we'd both end up becoming teachers.
I never would have imagined it back then.
Me neither.
It's kind of fun though, isn't it?
Getting to eat hamburgers together here again.
I figured you'd be drinking root beer.
How can I not drink it when I'm here?
True.
Ah, that's good!
This is going to take a while...
Want one, Kayo?
I had some earlier.
Our optical group went to the observatory to make our observations, but...
That was rough, right after dinner.
That was a really winding road.
If you're not feeling well, do want to lie down for a bit?
We have a nap room here for the researchers.
A researcher's bed!
I wonder what it's like.
I want to try it out!
You girls are so excited.
Now, where do you think the asteroids we're after are located?
The asteroid belt.
The asteroid belt!
Oh, a duet.
That's right.
So, what region of the sky should we be observing, then?
The region in opposition!
This time they're in unison.
That's the region where it's closest to Earth, right?
Right.
Horiguchi-san, if you would.
Sure.
Sun Earth Opposition
As Konohata-san said, this is the region in opposition.
Asteroids reflect the light from the sun,
so they're brightest when they're in opposition.
So it's like when the idol comes front and center
on the stage to bathe in the spotlight?
What are you talking about?
The observatories and space telescopes throughout the world have already
discovered most of the bright objects with their full sky surveys.
Most of the undiscovered asteroids are dimmer than magnitude 20-21.
Asteroid
Sun Earth Opposition
Survey?
Astronomical surveys.
Astronomical?
They observe a wide region all at once.
Wow.
Astronomical
By the way, here's how it's written.
Next, we'll explain how to conduct your observations.
Wait, am I the only one getting left behind here? Panic!
What are you doing?
I want a partner, too!
Come with me!
Huh?
S-Sure!
This time, we'll be marking each 0.2 view of angular diameter
as a single section of the region in opposition.
The moon fills an angular diameter of 0.5, so...
0.5 angular diameter
Moon
it's about this big?
the order we'll observe in
We'll be taking five shots per section
with a six-minute exposure time each, so that's 30 minutes to photograph each one.
We'll be conducting our observations this way for as long as time permits.
I-I'm just so happy to be learning an astronomer's know-how in person!
Until now, it's all been through books or the Internet.
I know!
Going to see concerts live is the best!
Their conversation actually meshed.
Once we reduce the noise from our photograph data,
we analyze the photos with our asteroid survey software.
We create a continuous display of those five images
by overlapping the fixed stars, and...
The objects in motion are your asteroids.
There are so many in a single section!
There are a lot more than I imagined.
The ones with red marks on them are the currently known asteroids.
Blue marks appear on the ones that are potentially new, undiscovered asteroids.
Huh... looks pretty hard to find one.
Not to mention, you need at least
two different observations of a new asteroid, if I remember right.
Huh?! Then you're saying we're completely finished if we can't find one tonight?!
I-If you do happen to find a potential discovery,
I'll take charge of the follow-up observation.
There's another factor making observation difficult.
Oh, a weather monitor.
I was worried about that. The cloud patterns definitely aren't looking good.
Oh, no...
In that case, let's hurry up and get started!
It's better to have as many chances as possible!
Yeah!
All right. Let's start loading up the photo program.
Thank you so much for taking such good care of us again.
You're Yuki's precious students, after all.
We're happy that you visited again.
Does he love astronomy, too?
Now that you mention it, he's been wearing that this whole time.
That was a souvenir our teacher bought for him at JAXA last year.
Huh?
What? Is it from the girls?
Yes. They said the weather is bad down there,
so their observation isn't going well.
After they finally got this chance to realize their dream, too...
Senpai, use these!
Oh, you mean to make teruteru bouzu dolls?
Yes! Let's make enough to reach Ishigaki Island!
Oh, I'll make some, too.
Goodness, we sure did make a lot.
It's not enough.
We should make more!
Our fourth observation...
They're all known objects.
Hey, it looks like the weather's getting worse.
Go faster!
Now, now.
Sensei!
Sometimes there's no point in panicking.
Let's have some tea and wait for it to clear up.
There are so many sweets!
H-Having snacks this late?
The guilty pleasure only makes them taste better!
Oh, we have cup noodles, too.
Wow. You're both former participants in the Shiny Challenge?
Yeah. The weather was like this then, too.
Yuki-chan was in such a panic, determined to produce results.
No, it wasn't that bad.
Yuki-chan used to have a very serious attitude.
Like she was straining herself for something.
This is how stiff her expression used to be.
You mean our Endou-sensei?
I have photos of you from back then right here.
You, too?! I'm so embarrassed!
She's so young.
Sensei, your expression's so stiff!
This is Hayakawa-sensei...
Who's this?
Oh, that's Nishina-chan.
She's an astronomer overseas now.
Wow!
She really was an incredible girl.
She knew so much.
Not just about astronomy, but about history and literature, too.
She just had so much fun learning new things.
She's the one who got me into it, too.
Wow.
I didn't discover any asteroids in the end,
but I got something even better out of it.
Honestly, the interactions we have with others are so important.
Those encounters can be enough to change a person's world.
You kind of seem more mature than usual right now.
She's truly a good teacher, huh?
E-Enough about us! You should go interact with your peers!
Hanashima-san, I'm borrowing the nap room!
She's just as cute as ever.
I'll be in the nap room, too.
Hey, Manaka-san, I forgot to ask.
Why did you come all the way here?
You have a lot of guts to come observe us by yourself.
I made a promise to Mira when we were children.
We're going to discover an asteroid and name it after her.
To make that happen, I need to gather a lot more knowledge and experience.
Wow. What a big, romantic dream!
I'm sad it wasn't because you heard voices from space.
Why is she disappointed?
Why are you participating, Makki?
I came here to expand my horizons and meet all kinds of new people.
It's not directly related to astronomy, but I'm trying to become a counselor.
That explains the comment about my brain.
I wanted to meet Neon!
Neon?
The idol who loves astronomy, Amane Neon!
They hold a Star Festival after the Shiny Challenge, right?
She's this year's guest!
I get to see Neon in person!
I might be able to get close to her!
Everyone really is here for different reasons.
Sorry, everyone, but it doesn't look like the weather will clear up tonight.
Let's call it a night.
What? But...
Instead, why don't we practice looking for them using past photo data?
O-Okay!
What would you like to do, Manaka-san?
You could return to the dorms with Endou-san and the others, if you'd like.
No! Please let me observe until the very end!
Looks like the weather cleared up on Ishigaki Island!
Really?!
Th-That's good.
I wonder if we helped make that happen.
Your feelings made it through, Nana-chan.
Yeah.
Here you go.
Oh, are you heading out already?
Yes.
Hey.
What are we doing about the afternoon observation?
Yeah, let's figure that out now.
Electromagnetic observation is nice, since it's not affected by the time.
I guess we're all studying during the day today.
I think I'll need to drink a lot of coffee.
Guava Juice
Here. Stay hydrated.
Thank you.
Try not to push yourself too hard.
It's going to be hot and sunny today.
Sunny?
I'm not sleepy! I'm not sleepy!
Are you okay? You're spacing out.
Oh, yeah!
It's okay.
We still have a chance.
Tonight, it'll happen.
I'm sure!
12. Connected Cosmos
Next time, "Connected Cosmos."