OMU News

Asteroid No. 48433 has been officially named “Onishi” after Professor Toshikazu Onishi of the Graduate School of Science.

The name was proposed by Yoshihiro Yamada, President of the nonprofit organization Oriental Astronomical Association, to the Working Group for Small Body Nomenclature of the International Astronomical Union. The proposal was approved and officially announced on June 15, 2026.

Professor Onishi has been performing pioneering research in radio astronomy utilizing the Graduate School of Science’s 1.85-meter radio telescope as well as the 45-meter radio telescope at Nobeyama Radio Observatory in Nagano, Japan, and the NANTEN, NANTEN2, and ALMA telescopes in Chile.

His work has focused on understanding the structure and evolution of molecular clouds and the processes underlying star formation in the Milky Way and nearby galaxies. The naming of the asteroid “Onishi” is in recognition of his significant scientific achievements.

Comment from Professor Toshikazu Onishi

I never imagined that an asteroid would be named after me, so I was both surprised and deeply honored. Rather than being the achievement of any one individual, this naming recognizes the radio astronomy research that I have conducted together with many collaborators and students over the years. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone involved in the naming process and to those who recommended me for this honor. This award will continue to motivate me to advance both research and education in the years to come.

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