Naomasa Nakai, an expert on supermassive black holes, is forging ahead with a project to build a new astronomical research station in Antarctica to unravel the mystery behind the birth of galaxies.
Nakai, a professor at the University of Tsukuba in Ibaraki Prefecture, heads a consortium conducting a study on observation conditions and technological needs with an eye toward building a station with a giant telescope.
"If extended space exploration and advanced research on the birth of stars (are) made possible at the envisioned station, we may unravel the mystery behind the formation of galaxies," Nakai said.