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Motohara Lab
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The lab builds near-infrared instruments to unravel the mysteries of how galaxies are born and grow.
AboutAbout the lab
Uncovering how galaxies formed with new instruments
The Motohara Lab develops instruments for observing the universe in the near-infrared, and uses them to observe galaxies.
Astronomy has made one discovery after another by building instruments that can observe at wavelengths and levels of detail not previously possible.
The lab builds instruments that observe near-infrared light at wavelengths of 1–2.5 μm, aiming to unravel the mysteries of galaxy formation and evolution, from nearby galaxies to distant ones.
The work spans a wide range, from developing instrument hardware and software to observations, data analysis, and scientific discussion.
Key terms
- Near-infrared light
- Light with slightly longer wavelengths than visible red light, which the human eye cannot see
- Spectroscopy
- Splitting light into its component wavelengths, like a rainbow. It reveals the composition and motion of celestial objects
- Adaptive optics
- A technology that corrects the blurring of star images caused by atmospheric turbulence by changing the shape of a mirror
NewsLab news
View More ↗ResearchResearch themes
The lab mainly develops observation instruments for near-infrared light at wavelengths of 1–2.5 μm. By using these instruments to observe galaxies from nearby to distant, it aims to unravel the mysteries of galaxy formation and evolution.
*Illustrative imageNINJA, a Spectrograph for the Subaru Telescope
NINJA is a spectrograph covering visible to near-infrared light, designed to work with the adaptive optics of the Subaru Telescope. The lab is developing it with a team that includes the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. The instrument is intended for studying distant galaxies, supernovae, and other objects through spectroscopy.
*Illustrative imageSWIMS, an Instrument for the TAO Telescope
SWIMS is a near-infrared instrument to be mounted on the 6.5 m infrared telescope of the University of Tokyo Atacama Observatory (TAO). Over a wide field of view, it can image two near-infrared wavelength bands simultaneously, and can also perform spectroscopy of many objects at once.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Motohara Lab consist of faculty, technical staff, and doctoral and master's students.As of 2026
- ProfessorKentaro MotoharaPublications ↗
- Assistant ProfessorMasahiro Konishi
- Assistant ProfessorHidenori Takahashi
VoicesStudent voices
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images.
- Top image: “Hubble-ultra-deep-field-20091208-WFC3-IR-full” NASA / Public domain (cropped)
- NINJA, a Spectrograph for the Subaru Telescope: “Subaru Telescope. Mauna Kea Summit ( )” Robert Linsdell from St. Andrews, Canada / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- SWIMS, an Instrument for the TAO Telescope: “Tokyo Atacama Observatory 3D” Takanori Uchida, Ryo Araya / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Miyata Lab): “Wolf-Rayet 140 (Webb-MIRI)” NASA/ESA/CSA/STScl/JPL-Caltech / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Sako Lab): “The Test-Bed Telescope 2 dome at night (eso2107h)” F. Ocaña/J. Isabel/Quasar SR / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Shimasaku Lab): “Webb's First Deep Field” NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Kwon Lab): “Cat's Paw Nebula (NGC 6334)” ESO/J. Emerson/VISTA / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
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