In November, the Kurashiki Observatory will mark 100 years as Japan's first astronomical observatory open to the public and one that has inspired some 300 similar facilities used by professionals and lay stargazers alike.The observatory in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, has served as a vehicle for "people's longing for the starry sky and the universe," an official in the western city said.Prior to its establishment on Nov. 21, 1926, observatories were state-run and open only to professionals. Responding to public interest in the heavens, the facility was built with capital contributed by Su…READ FULL ARTICLE
