2 seniors in spotlight for discovering new stars

2 seniors in spotlight for discovering new stars

SAGA, Japan - Amateur astronomers Koichi Nishiyama (R), 70, and Fujio Kabashima, 68, photographed in January, hunt for new stars at their private observatory in Miyaki, Saga Prefecture.

Amateur astronomers flex their star gazing muscle

Amateur astronomers flex their star gazing muscle

SAGA, Japan - Koichi Nishiyama (R), 70, and Fujio Kabashima, 68, two Japanese amateur astronomers who have built their own observatory in Miyaki, Saga Prefecture, discovered six new stars last year and one in February. The pair, who posed for this photo in front of their telescope in January, will be commended by the Astronomical Society of Japan in March for their achievements. According to the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, less than 20 new stars are discovered each year worldwide, and it is rare for two amateur astronomers to have discovered so many new stars. (Kyodo)

Nagasaki A-bomb survivor reads letter from father

Nagasaki A-bomb survivor reads letter from father

Hiroko Tsutsumi, a survivor of the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki, southwestern Japan, in 1945 reads a letter from her father, who died in China as an army civilian employee during World War II, as seen in this file photo taken in Miyaki, Saga Prefecture, on Nov. 5, 2014. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Heavy rain in southwestern Japan

Heavy rain in southwestern Japan

People walk on a flooded road in Miyaki in Saga Prefecture, southwestern Japan, during heavy rain on July 21, 2019. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Heavy rain in southwestern Japan

Heavy rain in southwestern Japan

Vehicles travel on a flooded road in Miyaki in Saga Prefecture, southwestern Japan, during heavy rain on July 21, 2019. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Heavy rain in southwestern Japan

Heavy rain in southwestern Japan

Vehicles travel on a flooded road in Miyaki in Saga Prefecture, southwestern Japan, during heavy rain on July 21, 2019. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo