| Observatory code | 385  |
|---|---|
| Location | Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka,Japan. |
| Coordinates | 34°58′13″N138°28′05″E / 34.97028°N 138.46806°E /34.97028; 138.46806 |
| Established | 1967 |
  Location of Nihondaira Observatory | |
 | |
Nihondaira Observatory (also known asOohira Station,Obs. code:385) is anastronomical observatory that is located on a hill overlookingShimizu,Japan.[1] It has been the source for numerous discoveries ofminor planet by astronomerTakeshi Urata.[1]
In 2007, the observatory was ranked 43rd in the number of asteroids discovered, with a total of 163, but has since lost its ranking, as the top 50 discovery sites have all discovered more than 400 bodies as of 2016.[2] TheInternational Astronomical Union's code for the observatory is385.[3] The asteroid2880 Nihondaira, discovered by astronomerTsutomu Seki, is named for this observatory.[1] It is often called by its location, Shizuoka.