November 6, 2012
On October 21, 2012, an event to mark the naming of Kannnabe
was held in Toyooka city, Hyogo prefecture under the auspices of Toyooka
city and other organizations. The event included lectures, ceremony, and
celebration. As the discoverer of this minor planet, I handed the certificate
of the naming to the mayor of the city. In return, I received a letter
of appreciation from him. Then, I began my lecture.
The venue of this even was Uemura Naomi Adventure Museum
built to commemorate the achievements of Mr. Naomi Uemura as an adventurer,
who was born in this city. Keeping the significance of this adventure museum
in mind, I made the topic of my lecture gthe adventure of Comet Ikeya-Sekih.
Coincidentally, one Kreutz group comet passed perihelion this day, 1965.
This comet Ikeya-Seki successfully undertook an gadventureh to pass through
one-million-degree corona.
Tsutomu Seki giving a lecture
I also talked about how gKannabeh had been discovered. At
night, an observing session was held at Albireo observatory to view Minor
Planet (23468) Kannabe through a 60cm reflector under the direction of
Mr Toshiro Nomura. Albireo is a private observatory with accommodations.
This star is shining at 15th magnitude as a cultural symbol of Toyooka
city.
Auberge Albireo Observatory
Kannabe is a highland with ski slopes and tennis courts.
At night you can enjoy superb starry skies little affected by light pollution.
It is where Mr. Ryoichi Irie, a long-term experienced comet hunter, has
been actively searching for comets. @
Kannabe highland
That day, I stayed at Pension Albireo with Mr. Matsuo Sugano,
a local amateur astronomer who helped us with the event. Albireo has a
magnificent observatory dome on the rooftop of the five story building.
The following day, I visited the nearby gmonument for the landing of Takenouchi
meteoriteh and a rare gMango-no-ookatsurah tree (a huge Japanese Judas
tree) standing in the mountains of Kannabe. The tree was so large that
it would take 6 adults holding hands to circle the tree. It crossed my
mind that there was a huge cedar in Kochi prefecture, the largest in Japan,
standing in the mountains north of Osugi station between Takamatsu and
Kochi on the Dosansen Line.
Mango-no-ookatsura tree
photographed by Mr. Ryoichi Irie