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Planetary and Space Lab
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A research group that uses exploration, observation, and computation to uncover the atmospheres and interiors of Earth and other planets.
AboutAbout the lab
Solving the mysteries of planets and Earth through observation, experiment, and theory.
The Planetary and Space Lab studies the atmospheres, internal structures, and surface environments of Earth and other planets.
Its methods are wide-ranging: observations with spacecraft and telescopes, analysis of exploration data, and large-scale numerical simulations.
Three units—exploration and observation, origin and evolution, and modeling and simulation—carry out research and education together as one team.
Students choose a primary supervisor according to the research they want to pursue, and carry out their research while receiving guidance and advice from multiple faculty members.
Key terms
- Ionosphere
- A layer in the upper atmosphere where the air is electrically charged by sunlight.
- Magnetosphere
- The space surrounding a planet, created when the planet's magnetic field blocks the solar wind.
- Protoplanetary disk
- A disk of gas and dust surrounding a newly formed star, from which planets form.
NewsLab news
Online graduate admissions information session held for the Department of Cosmosciences
A master's student won the Best Presentation Award at the master's thesis presentation session
ResearchResearch themes
The lab studies Earth and other planets, from their atmospheres to their interiors, by combining observation, experiment, and theory. Its research covers the origin of the solar system, the formation and evolution of Earth, planets, and moons, and how surface environments come to be.
*Illustrative imageObservation of planetary atmospheres and luminous phenomena
The lab investigates the structure of the atmospheres, ionospheres, and magnetospheres of Earth and other planets, as well as luminous phenomena such as aurora, lightning, and sprites, mainly through ground-based and satellite observations. Students take the lead in observations using the Venus orbiter Akatsuki and the Pirka Telescope in Nayoro, Hokkaido.
*Illustrative imageOrigin and evolution of planets
The lab studies the evolution of materials from molecular clouds through protoplanetary disks to the formation of planets, and how Earth, planets, and moons differentiate into core, mantle, crust, and atmosphere. It does so through theory, numerical modeling, and analysis of planetary exploration data.
*Illustrative imageSimulation of planetary atmospheres
The lab uses large-scale numerical simulations to study the flows in the atmospheres of Earth, Mars, Venus, and other planets, as well as flows occurring inside planets and in space. It also develops the numerical model software used for the calculations and the software used to analyze the results.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Planetary and Space Lab consist of faculty, postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, undergraduate students, and secretaries.As of 2026
- ProfessorKiyoshi Kuramoto
- ProfessorYukihiro Takahashi
- ProfessorMasaki Ishiwatari
- ProfessorMitsuteru Sato
- Associate ProfessorShunichi Kamata
- LecturerSeiko Takagi
- Project Assistant ProfessorAhmad Shaqeer
VoicesStudent voices
Compiled from answers by students who were in the lab. Ratings and reviews reflect individual students' experiences, not the lab's official views.
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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. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Terrestrial planet sizes” Mercury image: NASA/JHUAPLVenus image: NASAEarth image: NASA/Apollo 17 crewMars image: ESA/MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/RSSD/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA / Public domain (cropped)
- Observation of planetary atmospheres and luminous phenomena: “Aurora Seen From Space by NASA” NASA / Public domain (cropped)
- Origin and evolution of planets: “HL Tau protoplanetary disk” ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO) / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Simulation of planetary atmospheres: “PIA21972 Jupiter Blues” NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstadt/Sean Doran / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Meteorology Lab): “Northern Japan, especially the island of Hokkaido, is home to some of the snowiest cities in the world (stormy-snowy-winter-for-hokkaido)” Michala Garrison, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Space Geodesy Lab): “Sisters07 TheHusband gps station 05-10-07” Dave Sherrod, en:United States Geological Survey / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Ocean and Sea Ice Dynamics Lab): “Mackenzie Bay, Antarctica ( )” NASA Goddard Space Flight Center from Greenbelt, MD, USA / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Earth and Planetary Materials Science Lab): “Calcite-20188” Robert M. Lavinsky / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
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