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#19 |
Wings of Dreams: Starlight Meeting 2004 in Fukuoka |
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Example of a volute galaxy (image from the Hubble Space Telescope) Credit NASA |
According to the book, Dictionary of Outer Space (Shigemi Numasawa, Nanayo Wakiya / Natume Shuppan Kikaku Co., Ltd.), the universe “coincidentally formed from the tunnel effect from the fluctuations within the vacuum." The word “coincidentally" gives such an idyllic impression of the formation of the universe, but in actuality, when the universe was formed, it was much smaller than a single atom, its size being 10 to the negative 33rd
power; 1 billionth of a trillionth of a trillionth of a centimeter. Something so small expanded to 10 to the 100th power in just over a period of 10 to the negative 34th power. Since then, the universe has continued to expand over 14 billion years.
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The planet earth we live on is located in the Solar System, which is found within the Milky Way. The Milky Way is approximately 100,000 light years large. A light which laps around earth 7.5 times in 1 second only can travels 1 light year each year. At this speed of light, it takes 100,000 years to go from one end of the Milky Way to the other. The Milky Way belongs to the subgroup within the local group of galaxies, whose size is said to be 10 million light years. The size of the entire universe is approximated at over 10 billion light years. Gradually your sense of unit, time and distance becomes numb. |
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A cluster of galaxies referred to as Stephan's Quintet some 270 million light years away (image from the Hubble Space Telescope) Credit: ESA |
For example, there are 200 billion stars in the Milky Way. Groups of 50 to 10,000 galaxies are called galaxy clusters, and there is a plethora of such clusters in the universe. Thus, although the Milky Way seems colossal enough, from the perspective of the entire universe, it is apparent that the existence of the Milky Way is truly dwarfing. It seems that even specialists cannot agree on the number of stars there are in the universe, but what is clear is that its sheer size is overwhelming. Yet despite the immeasurable number of stars in the universe, in the space neighboring the Solar System, within 10 light years of Earth, there are only 7 inerratic stars (stars capable of emitting own light). Each star is so far widespread. Can you actually picture how far 10 light years really is? It is approximately 94 trillion kilometers. Even if we were to travel this distance at sonic speed, it will take approximately 94 billion hours that is 1 billion years to cover this distance. |
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# Frontier technology; space development |
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Stellar Cradle. In space, dust and gas gather incessantly forming new stars. Credit NASA |
At the moment, manned spacecrafts can only travel around the vicinity of Earth's satellite star, the moon, and to Mars and Jupiter in the Solar System. Nevertheless space travel still continues to be a great adventure for mankind. At present, with international cooperation, the construction of the International Space Station is progressing, and the construction on the moon and manned mars observation spacecraft is also being proposed. Also much focus has begun to gather around the scientific experimentation and industrial technology that make use of zero gravity in space. Japan is also a member of such plans; the main body of such participation being the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). |
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Space development involves various scientific technologies beginning with rocket engineering. In order to realize a space station or space colony, we must solve issues of self-sufficiency with respect to oxygen, water and food. Moreover, there are the issues of CO2, a major global warming agent and waste material. In other words, space development is deeply linked to Earth's environmental issues. However, space development is not generally supported or focused on by many people. It is such a long-term project that it seems hardly likely to become a familiar issue. Moreover, in Japan, due to the repeated failures of launching satellites, the Japanese people's interest has been completely diverted far away from space. In light of such realities, Mr. Mitsuo Oguchi, who directs research and development for manned spacecraft technology at JAXA introduces the mysteries and the magnetism of space through experiments at every opportunity and communicates to the children, the interest in and the taste for space, and aspirations for science. Also known as the “space missionary who provides dreams to and invokes curiosity in children," Mr. Oguchi is the chairman of the executive committee of the Starlight Meeting 2005 Project, the operational body of the Starlight Meeting we are reporting on (supported by JAXA, Young Astronauts Club (YAC), Fukuoka Prefecture, Fukuoka City, Kita-Kyushu City). |
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# Starlight Meeting Begins! |
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October 16, 2004, noon. 24 grade school students arrived in the mountain village located in the southern part of Fukuoka Prefecture. Picked up on a tour bus in Kokura and in Hakata, the children seemed a little nervous on their over night trip without their parents and their school friends. These 24 students are the very first participants of the Starlight Meeting. |
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The 24 children arrive at the village of Hoshino! |
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The venue selected as the stage for the first Starlight Meeting is the"home of the stars," the village of Hoshino, in Yame-gun, Fukuoka Prefecture. Centering the activities around accommodations known as the Mountain Villa of Stars /Hot Springs of the Stars, Kirara , the facility also includes the Ikenoyama camp site, and observatory equipped with the greatest astronomical telescope in Japan (Museum of Stars) and the Cultural Tea Museum.
"I have held many lectures and experimentation seminars for children at various exhibitions and symposiums, but this is my first over-night event. Although it is only for 1 night, I was ill at ease until I saw the expression on the children's faces who would be spending a night away from their parents; When I saw their faces as they disembarked the buses, I felt that this project was already a success. It seems that the voluntary staff leaders had hyped up the children's moral in the bus" said Mr. Oguchi. As he explained, as soon as the bus doors opened, the children rushed off the bus, with glowing faces, fully prepared, it seemed, to be enthused by the experience they were about to receive. After lunch, the children were divided into three groups under three leaders and the workshop began. The title of the workshop was, "Let us meet in space." The Mr. Mitsuo Oguchi, also known as Mickey, was the lecturer.
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After the children were divided into groups, each group decided on group names, which were the Big Dipper, the Sun and Mercury. |
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Keen interest in the experiment on vacuum and ultra cold temperatures |
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Mr. Oguchi prepared experiments, which would enable the children to actually see and feel the unique environment of outer space. “Outer space phenomena we are capable of replicating on Earth is the vacuum and ultra cold temperatures. Non-gravity is what adults and children alike would really like to see, but it is difficult to recreate. It is possible to pseudo-replicate such an environment, yet, it is merely artificial." Thus, here, experiments with vacuum and ultra cold temperatures were conducted. |
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Replica of a space suit. An example of the product of space development that children were able to actually touch and experience. |
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In the corner of the classroom, a spacesuit was exhibited. Mickey explains that the spacesuit was created to protect the astronauts. The characteristics of space are non-gravity, vacuum, and ultra cold temperatures. And he also revealed that the "exciting space experimentation lecture" will be on vacuum and ultra cold temperatures. |
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Mr. Mitsuo Oguchi, also known as Mickey's experiment begins!
Experiment on how the candle is extinguished in a vacuum. |
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When a vacuum state is created within the acrylic dome, airless balloon begins to expand. |
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First, the experiment on vacuum. Mickey creates a vacuum state within an acrylic dome. A marshmallow is placed within; it began to expand rapidly. Next a carbonated drink was placed within the vacuum. Once the air pressure within the dome decreased, the carbonation of the drink became more intense. Lastly, an airless balloon placed in the vacuum began to expand. From such experiments, the frightfulness of vacuum state was illustrated. In other words, within a vacuum, if human beings do not wear spacesuits, our blood will begin to bubble, our lungs will expand, and eventually we will explode. |
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The next experiment is with ultra cold temperatures. Each table is distributed with a container of liquid nitrogen. The temperature of the liquid nitrogen is negative 200 degrees Celsius. White smoke rises from the container, giving it a truly "experimental" mood. Ten or so Hoshino village children join the three groups of children and the ultra cold experiment begins. In outer space there is no atmosphere like that of Earth, thus it is extremely cold in areas where the sunrays (heat) do not reach (about negative 150 degrees Celsius). This experiment enabled the children to experience more tangibly what ultra cold temperatures would be like. First, a marshmallow was submerged in the liquid nitrogen; it immediately shrunk and became frozen solid. Next a balloon was inserted into the liquid nitrogen, which began to deflate to take on the shape it had before it was inflated. There remained a water-like liquid in the deflated balloon, which was actually liquefied oxygen. The boiling point of oxygen is negative 183 degrees Celsius, and liquid nitrogen negative 193 degrees, thus the air contained within the balloon became liquefied. |
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Ultra cold temperature experiment using liquid nitrogen. When the balloon was dipped into the liquid nitrogen, it began to shrink immediately. |
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Next, a very common ultra cold temperature experiment involving a rose was conducted. The rose was submerged into the liquid nitrogen for approximately 30 seconds. At a glance, the rose did not seem any different from before, but once the rose was touched, it crumbled apart. Next a banana was used for the experiment. This has also been widely introduced in commercials and other footage, but the children had never experienced it first hand before. After the banana was placed into the liquid nitrogen for about 30 seconds, the banana was used as a hammer to hammer in a nail into the board they had made ready. The children cheer. Within this report, I wanted to introduce a few comments from the children, but when we are truly astonished and moved, we rarely leave words The children's incredulous stares and cheers, their excited smiles; the children's curiosity for "something" they are experiencing for the first time, as well as their somewhat anxious expression tells all. |
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A rose and a banana were placed into the liquid nitrogen. The petals become completely dry, and the banana so hard that it can hammer in a nail. |
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Liquid nitrogen is a negative 200 degrees Celsius ultra cold. Lightly touching a drop of liquid nitrogen does not cause real damage, however, if you were to dip your finger into its, your finger would freeze much in the same way the banana did, and its cells would probably be destroyed. If you touch a banana frozen in liquid nitrogen for long periods of time, there is also a possibility that you may get burned. Generally, there is some danger involved in this experiment, thus it may not be conducted at schools. However, with proper instructions, not one child acted recklessly. |
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The children's expressions, and their bodies leaning forward with expectation. You can tell that they are fully concentrating. |
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+ From the Reflecting Back |
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The universe is incredibly huge! |
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A world of vacuum exists. |
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There are many stars, and if there is no air surrounding, people and anything around them would explode. |
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There are stars bigger than the sun. |
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I was surprise to see things like a marshmallow expanding. |
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The marshmallow became frozen solid. |
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May be there are aliens. |
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The rose (froze in the liquid nitrogen and) crumbled to pieces. |
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I was surprise to hear that the furthest star we have visited is the moon. I thought then that the other stars are much further away. |
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# Experiencing outer space |
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"Directly experiencing mysterious phenomena gives way to children's curiosities. When I was in elementary school, I borrowed a junior high school textbook of natural science from the library, and I conducted experiments on my own. I launched a hydrogen rocket using hydrochloric acid from toilet cleaners and electrodes from batteries taken apart. I hope that elementary school students will also feel the marvel of science through various experiments" said Mr. Oguchi who must certainly be a natural born "space missionary." |
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Hoshino is a mountain village rich with nature; rice paddy terraces can be seen in the surroundings. |
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A petit hotel, the Museum of Stars (left) where the observatory and the planetarium are located. |
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| In the courtyard of the Museum of Stars, stars gazing with a telescope. On this day, the skies were clear and the Milky Way was very distinct. |
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The children who have already encountered the mysteries of space through the experiments experienced real stars next. At night, the children experienced space travel at the planetarium at the Museum of Stars and star gazing at the observatory. For most children, it was the first experience with a real astronomical telescope. Needless to say, here too, the children gave cries of wonder. |
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Here, Altair and Vega, and the Milky Way found in between could be seen with ones own eyes. Moreover, many of the children saw shooting stars for the first time. |
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Andromeda Nebula. This is a great group of stars located adjacent to our galaxy, with close to 300 to 400 billion stars. Filmed from the Museum of Stars.
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+ From the Reflecting Back |
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I was able to see the night sky and learn about many stars such as the Deneb. |
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I realized that there were so many stars. |
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I learned that there are still many unknowns. |
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I saw a shooting star. |
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That there was water on Mars a long time ago. |
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I learned that there are bigger stars than the Sun. |
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Even if the stars look small, in reality, they are just far away. |
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I was surprised to learn at the planetarium about the many constellations such as the Camelopardalis. |
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# 2005 International Astronautical Congress |
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This Starlight Meeting was also meant to create the foundations for the 56th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) to be held in Fukuoka in October of 2005. The IAC is the world's largest conference held each year among those affiliated with, and it is also an exemplar exhibition of space technology. The 55th IAC was held in Vancouver in 2004, and there were over 1000 research presentations, equipment displays, demonstrations and tours. Aside from the research presentations mainly for specialists, research presentations were made by students; the IAC is a conference which involves all enraptured by the magnetism of space, and this congress is coming to Fukuoka. |
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"Over 2000 people will gather from various countries worldwide. But, this congress rarely intrigues the general public. Of course the research presentations are for specialists, and perhaps the general mass would not be so interested. But, there will also be an exhibition at this conference. So it's not a common business show, rather an exhibition that is incidental to academic sessions; therefore, students who conduct space research at their universities also participate in these presentations. Thus, it is a big event that people of all ages may enjoy. We hope to broaden the target audience base at the conference in Fukuoka so that small children, and children from elementary, junior high and high schools would understand the meaning of space research. We welcome families, as well as neighboring schools to bring children to the conference as part of the class activities. I would like everyone to experience and learn and discover new things by experiencing the latest scientific technology first hand" states Mr. Oguchi with respect to the conference to be held in Fukuoka. |
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It is an international conference children and the people of the region take part in. For people gathering from all over the world, there cannot be a greater hospitality than this. "By coming into contact with children, adults also get an opportunity for further growth. Actually, there is much that adults that participated in our Starlight Meeting have received from the children. I believe that anything that you cannot explain to children is of no good. This is one of my principles of communication. Space development is the same. No matter how significant what you are doing may be, if you cannot make the children understand, it would be more difficult to gain the understanding of the majority of the mass. Moreover, it is an international conference that is to be held in Fukuoka, but it would be strange if families living in Fukuoka know nothing about it. If these children go home to their families touched by the Starlight Meeting, they would of course tell their families. So I thought a communication program involving children was absolutely necessary" emphasizes Mr. Tsutomu Iijima with respect to the awareness and understanding of the general public especially that of children. He is a planner and one of the members of the executive committee of the Starlight Meeting. |
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Breakfast on the second day. The children have already become accustomed to their new environment |
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Experiencing shizuku-tea and maccha tea making at the Cultural Tea Museum |
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# To nourish the wings of dreams |
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"The children were very enthused to participate in the experiments held at the Starlight Meeting. We are planning a new form of exhibition especially for children for the international conference in Fukuoka. There is a research center at NASA that is developing the Mars rover. We would like to have a demonstration where it (the rover) would be maneuvered in a georama, a replica of the geological formation of Mars. Although in principle NASA does not conduct exhibitions overseas, they have informed us that the department would like to participate on a research center basis. There are myriads of successful robotic contests that have been held in various places recently. Similarly, we hope to have a rover contest at the conference in Fukuoka, and to gather ideas for rovers from children, as well as letting them actually maneuver them about. To what extent children nowadays have dreams? I have no idea, but I believe that everyone has the buds of dreams waiting to blossom. Through the Starlight Meeting, using stars as the medium, children are able to become familiar with nature and see things they would not normally be able to see. And I believe that that may help dreams become grander. Dreams cannot be nurtured alone. Through interactions and conversations with friends, adults and others besides yourself, your dreams become more defined. Using the opportunity offered by the Starlight Meeting, we hope that the children's dreams will become clearer and that we would be able to help them advance towards their dreams. By doing so, I hope that children will be able to live clear more defined lives. I believe that by conducting experiments where the children must think for themselves and take action, and actively and with curiosity move headlong towards something, they would obtain the opportunity (to nurture their dreams)." (Mr. Mitsuo Oguchi) |
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# Space development technology is environmental technology |
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By the way, Mr. Mitsuo Oguchi, or Mickey, not only conducts “fun experiments" all the time, but at the moment he is involved in research with respect to material recycling in the era of space colonization. |
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Mr. Mitsuo Oguchi at the research center located within the JAXA facilities in Chofu. |
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"I was involved in the control technology of rocket engines in the past. That has already reached a certain phase so at the moment I am involved in research with respect to creating a living environment necessary human life in outer space, not only with respect to space stations, but space colonies of a larger scale. We perceive Mars as a prospective location for a space colony. Average temperatures would be around negative 60 degrees Celsius approximately equal to a commercial freezer; the temperature at which tuna would become frozen solid. The atmosphere would be composed of 95% carbon gas. Methane gas would be created from the carbon gas and used as energy. By doing so, the planetary warming will be invoked. If left up to natural process, it would take thousands or ten thousands of years, but with the intervention of frontier technology, we believe that this may be accomplished in a viable period. Of course before this is implemented, we have to discuss whether this should be done, or we are right in doing so, but it is possible to replicate an environment livable for human beings. And of course in the beginning, items necessary for survival such as food, water and oxygen will be taken there, but what is consumed must be recycled by using organisms and physicochemistry. Carbon gas must be recycled into oxygen, waste water into water, and food from waste. I am involved with that kind of research, and we have completed the elemental technology. Time will still be needed for man to go to Mars, thus we are applying this technology to Earth's environmental issues." |
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Mr. Oguchi is involved in developing technology that creates clear water from raw trash. For example, thick residue of distilled spirit can be converted into water and carbon gas in 30 minutes. With water distilling technology, water may be treated to become drinking water or a water resource, and carbon gas may be converted into methane gas to be used as an energy source. With its processing capability and recycling capacity, it appears to be a very hopeful technology in the future. |
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At the end of the Starlight Meeting, Mr. Oguchi said to the children, "All of you who have participated in the Starlight Meeting, I invite you to my future villa on Mars." Of course it was a joke, but in Mr. Oguchi's mind, it must not have been a complete jest. |
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Mars. One day, we may be able to live on this planet. Credit NASA
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# Heading towards the second Starlight Meeting |
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The program for the second day of the Starlight Meeting involved experiencing shizuku-tea and maccha tea at the Tea Museum. The village of Hoshino is a major producer of tea. Shizuku-tea is served by placing refined green tea in a tea cup in 20cc of hot water cooled down to approximately 50 degrees Celsius. The tea is brewed for 2 minutes, and sipped through a lid. The sweetness of the green tea is condensed, with a touch of bitterness, and an indescribably pleasant flavor spreads in the mouth. The sweetness comes from a substance in the tea called theanine. After one finishes drinking the first cup of tea, hot water is added to the tea cup a little by little and the tea is consumed as one would a normal tea. One the tea is finished, ponzu sauce is poured in the tea cup, and the tea leaves are consumed. Through the maccha tea making experience, the highest quality tea leaves are made into fine powder using a stone millstone. For adults, shizuku-tea is tasteful, but for children, the bitterness seemed to strike first. But the children became extremely energetic with the making of the maccha tea. The children were able to take the tea powder home as gifts. |
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The Starlight Meeting completion certificate was handed to every participant. |
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The Starlight Meeting was significant in various aspects, but unless the children who participated in the meeting found something great while becoming intrigued by the world of stars, the meeting has had no meaning. Further explanations are probably unnecessary since the pictures introduced here tell enough. Starlight Meeting will be held in March, Summer, and in October right before the Fukuoka conference in 2005. Location is yet to be determined, but hosting the event outside of the village of Hoshino is under consideration. |
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Earth, when looked upon from the grandiose scale of the universe, is a very small existence, quite difficult to even locate among the stars. Additionally, human beings who live on its soil for a blink of time are an even smaller existence. This feeling intensifies the more you learn about the universe. Yet, its smallness, and its minuteness precisely reflect how precious each and every life is. Moreover, our existence is supported by a gigantic power plant called the Sun; the trees of the forest, and microorganisms; all things support us. |
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When the universe came about, it is said that only hydrogen existed in its entirety, and that that through atomic fusion, the hydrogen became helium, and through overwhelming number of nucleic explosion, the elements such as iron and carbon were formed. Earth is a star that formed from such gifts from stellar dust. Our bodies, too, may be said to be composed of such gifts from the stars. |
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There are organisms that fulfill their lifecycles in a fraction of a second while 14 billion years of activity in the universe exist. In the dynamism from the maximum to the minimum, the one thing that can be said is the fact there is value in every existence. On a clear night, why don't you try turning off all the lights and gaze at the stars? |
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+ From the Reflecting Back |
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I drank Hoshino tea, and I also made it. |
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You can see many stars in the village of Hoshino, and at the beginning of autumn we saw the Summer Triangle of stars. |
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I became friends with various people. |
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I made many new friends. |
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Gazing at the stars. It was fun. I learned many things for the first time. |
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There were little kids, and also it must have been difficult to sleep last and be the first one up. The leaders were dependable and they were very kind to us. The Panna leader was a very enthusiastic leader. Thank you for everything. |
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Thank you for taking care of us for two days. I will take home many great memories with me. I will never forget these two days. Oji, Panna leader, Maleader, Tano, Kato-san, Nabe-san, dangerous-individual, Iijima-san, Mickey-san, Koyama-san, Hisada-san, thank you for everything. |
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I became close with everyone. |
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I had a great time. It was fun at night. |
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Thank you. When we went to bed, we had pillow fights. |
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The hot springs were great. |
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Ma leader, I would like to come again. It was a very fun two days. Maleader, thank you. |
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Hisato Kato
Born in Tokyo, 1957. Graduated Department of French Literature, College of Arts, Rikkyo Univeristy. President of Basho House Limited. Through writing activities with respect to environment, energy, global warming measures, recycling, and "the way to work," he proposes 21st Century lifestyles. His hobby is Ukulele. Among his written work is "Catalogue of people friend items for Q.O.L. - universal design item 59+ α" (Sanshusha Co., Ltd.) |
| Report/Photographs: Hisato Kato |
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