East Asian Observatory

What East Asian Observatory does

East Asian Observatory (EAO) is a non-profit Hawaii corporation, founded in 2014 and operational since March 1, 2015, that operates the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) on the summit of Maunakea, Hawaii. EAO is governed by the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASIAA, Taiwan) and the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT), with additional institutional support from a UK university consortium funded through STFC, and from Japan, China, South Korea, and Canada. The JCMT is a 15-metre submillimetre-wavelength telescope at 4,092 metres altitude, the largest single-dish astronomical facility designed specifically for submillimetre observations, and hosts a continuously upgraded instrument suite including the SCUBA-2 10,000-pixel continuum camera, the POL-2 polarimeter, the HARP 4×4 heterodyne array, and the Nāmakanui multi-receiver platform with inserts at 86, 230, 345, and 690 GHz.

EAO's product surface is a research infrastructure stack: the telescope itself, the instrument suite, the Hedwig proposal management system, the OMP project portal, the Starlink data reduction software, and the JCMT Science Archive hosted at the Canadian Astronomy Data Centre. Time on JCMT is allocated through a competitive Principal Investigator (PI) proposal system reviewed by a Time Allocation Committee; proposals are accepted from researchers at partner institutions in East Asia (Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, China, South Korea), the UK and Ireland, Canada, and the Expanding Partner Program countries (India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brazil, Argentina). The observatory also participates as a node in the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration and the East Asian VLBI Network, and jointly operates the Submillimeter Array (SMA) on Maunakea with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and ASIAA. Since November 1, 2019, JCMT has operated fully remotely from Hilo, materially expanding accessibility for international users.

EAO is a member-funded regional observatory, not a commercial enterprise; it does not charge fees for telescope access, and its operating model is sustained by institutional partner contributions and government research funding rather than by product revenue. The organization's scientific output includes participation in producing the world's first image of a black hole (Pōwehi in M87) with the EHT collaboration — recognized by the 2020 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics — and high-impact results such as the JCMT-based detection tracing a high-energy neutrino to a distant galaxy 11 billion light-years away. Leadership transitioned in March 2025, with Dr. Ming-Tang Chen becoming Executive Chair of the Board and Dr. Geoffrey Bower (formerly EHT Project Scientist) becoming President and JCMT Director, succeeding founding Director Dr. Paul Ho.

Name

East Asian Observatory

Legal name

East Asian Observatory

Website

https://eaobservatory.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

East Asian Observatory is a non-profit Hawaii corporation that operates the 15-metre James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) on Maunakea, serving academic astronomers and research consortia from partner institutions in East Asia, the UK, Canada, and a growing list of Expanding Partner countries through a competitive PI proposal system.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Astronomical Observatory Services

NAICS

Space Research and Technology (92711)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

Spacecraft & Satellites (Civil/Commercial) (IMABACAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Machine Vision & Optical Sensing (Cameras, 3D vision, LiDAR, illumination) (IMAGAFAB)

Keywords

• Submillimetre astronomy
• Radio telescope operations
• Astronomical research infrastructure
• Telescope time allocation
• Observatory data services

Headquarters

HQ city

Hilo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Operations

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

EAO operates the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) on Maunakea, Hawaii — the world's largest astronomical telescope specifically designed for submillimetre wavelength observations — and provides observing time, scientific instruments, and data services to professional astronomers from partner institutions worldwide. Telescope access is allocated through a competitive Principal Investigator (PI) proposal system reviewed by a Time Allocation Committee.

Product overview

The East Asian Observatory (EAO) operates the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT), the world's largest submillimetre-wavelength telescope at Maunakea, Hawaii. The JCMT hosts a suite of instruments including the SCUBA-2 continuum camera for wide-field imaging, POL-2 polarimeter for magnetic field studies, HARP heterodyne array, and the Nāmakanui system with multiple receiver inserts (ʻAlaʻihi at 86 GHz, ʻŪʻū at 230 GHz, ʻĀweoweo at 345 GHz, and Kuntur at 690 GHz). EAO also jointly operates the Submillimeter Array (SMA). Supporting infrastructure includes the Hedwig proposal system, OMP project management, JCMTOT observing tool, Starlink data reduction software, and the JCMT Science Archive. The observatory is governed by ASIAA and NARIT with partner support from UK, Ireland, South Korea, Japan, China, and Canada.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) A 15-metre diameter submillimetre-wavelength telescope at Maunakea, Hawaii — the largest astronomical telescope designed specifically for submillimetre observations. Used by professional astronomers to study the Solar System, interstellar dust and gas, star formation, and distant galaxies.
• SCUBA-2 Continuum Camera A 10,000-pixel bolometer array camera operating at 450 μm and 850 μm on JCMT, used for wide-field continuum imaging, submillimetre source mapping, cosmic background studies, and deep extragalactic surveys.
• POL-2 Sub-millimeter Polarimeter A sub-millimeter polarimeter working at 450 μm and 850 μm with SCUBA-2 to trace dust particle alignment and map magnetic field orientation and strength in star-forming regions.
• HARP Heterodyne Array Receiver A 4x4 element heterodyne array receiver on JCMT operating at 345 GHz for spectral line mapping with 16 pixels.
• Nāmakanui Heterodyne Instrument Suite A multi-receiver heterodyne instrument system on JCMT with multiple insert options including ʻAlaʻbihi (86 GHz), ʻŪʻū (230 GHz), ʻĀweoweo (345 GHz), and Kuntur (690 GHz) for molecular line spectroscopy and atmospheric studies.
• Kuntur 690 GHz Receiver A 690 GHz sideband-separating, dual-polarization receiver offered in collaboration with LLAMA, used for high-frequency molecular line observations on JCMT.
• ʻŪʻū 230 GHz Receiver Nāmakanui receiver insert operating at 230 GHz for molecular line spectroscopy at JCMT.
• ʻĀweoweo 345 GHz Receiver
• ʻAlaʻbihi 86 GHz Receiver
• Submillimeter Array (SMA) A reconfigurable interferometric array of eight 6-metre antennas on Maunakea, jointly operated with Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and ASIAA, offering baselines from 9m to 508m. Operates at 230, 345, and 400 GHz bands.
• JCMT Large Programs Extended observing programs with dedicated time allocation (typically 4,200–4,800 hours) enabling major multi-year surveys such as SCOPE, BISTRO, JINGLE, and MALATANG, with open enrollment for new participants from partner institutions.
• JCMT Science Archive Public and proprietary data archive for JCMT observations hosted at the Canadian Astronomy Data Centre (CADC), enabling reuse of archival submillimetre data by the research community.
• Hedwig Proposal Submission System Online system used by Principal Investigators to submit observing proposals, manage projects, and coordinate telescope time allocations at JCMT.
• Observatory Management Portal (OMP) Online portal for managing JCMT projects, accessing data, and administering observing programs.
• Starlink Data Reduction Software Software suite used for JCMT data processing, including packages for imaging, spectroscopy, polarimetry, and pipeline processing. Available for macOS and Linux.

Quantifiable outcome

• Produced the world's first image of a black hole Pōwehi in M87 galaxy as part of EHT collaboration
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASIAA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2015ASIAA serves as the primary governing institution of EAO alongside NARIT. EAO operates under the governance of ASIAA and NARIT, with ASIAA providing foundational leadership including Dr. Ming-Tang Chen (Executive Chair) and Dr. Paul Ho (Director Emeritus). ASIAA collaborates on SMA operations and provides the Nāmakanui instrument.
• National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2015NARIT is a primary governing institution of EAO alongside ASIAA, contributing to regional astronomy collaboration and providing financial support for JCMT operations.
• UK Astronomy Technology Centre and UK University ConsortiummajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2015UK partner universities (Cardiff, UCL, Durham, Edinburgh, Hertfordshire, Manchester, Imperial, Oxford, Armagh Observatory, Open University) provide additional financial and technical support for JCMT operations, funded through STFC.
• East Asian Core Observatories Association (EACOA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEACOA comprises ASIAA (Taiwan), NAOJ (Japan), NAOC (China), and KASI (South Korea). EAO was formed by EACOA for joint astronomical projects, with partner institutes helping establish funding and governance.
• Submillimeter Array (SMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSMA is jointly operated by Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) and ASIAA. Located on Maunakea alongside JCMT, SMA and JCMT frequently collaborate on observations including Event Horizon Telescope activities and Frequency Phase Transfer testing.
• Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) CollaborationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJCMT and SMA serve as critical nodes in the global EHT array. EAO contributed to producing the first image of a black hole (Pōwehi) and continues to participate in EHT observations and research.
• University of HawaiimajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEAO cooperates with University of Hawaii for JCMT operations. UH provides the telescope site on Maunakea, with Len Cowie serving as non-voting board member representing UH interests.
• Canadian Astronomy InstitutionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanadian institutions participate in JCMT operations and governance with Sarah Sadavoy serving as non-voting board member. Canada provides the JCMT Science Archive hosted at CADC.
• European Southern Observatory (ESO)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEAO and ESO signed a Joint Communiqué in May 2015 establishing cooperation between the organizations. EAO aspires to be the counterpart to ESO in Asia, with discussions on future collaboration areas.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA): ALMA is the premier global submillimetre/millimeter interferometer in Chile. It is the closest direct scientific competitor to JCMT in wavelength coverage and target user community, and EAO data explicitly references ALMA collaborations and Frequency Phase Transfer tests.
• Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO): SAO is the Smithsonian's astronomy research arm and co-operates the Submillimeter Array (SMA) on Maunakea together with EAO/ASIAA. SMA operates at 230/345/400 GHz, directly comparable to JCMT's heterodyne and bolometer instruments, and shares VLBI/EHT infrastructure with JCMT.
• Green Bank Observatory: Green Bank Observatory operates the 100-meter Green Bank Telescope, the world's largest fully steerable radio telescope. It is directly comparable to JCMT as a single-dish radio/submillimetre facility offering PI-driven observing and a public data archive.

Broad incumbents

• National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO): NRAO operates the VLA, GBT, and the US share of ALMA, making it the dominant national radio astronomy facility. It overlaps with JCMT in continuum and spectral-line radio observation capability and serves a comparable PI proposal user base.
• European Southern Observatory (ESO): ESO is Europe's intergovernmental astronomy organization and EAO's explicit strategic counterpart in Asia (per the 2015 Joint Communiqué). Both operate flagship ground-based observatories with multi-national governance and competitive PI proposal time allocation systems.
• National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ): NAOJ operates Japan's flagship optical/infrared (Subaru) and millimeter (Nobeyama 45m) facilities and is a member of EACOA governing EAO. Comparable as an East Asian national observatory with a multi-decade research infrastructure portfolio.

Emerging players

• Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO): SKAO is the next-generation global radio telescope project under construction in Australia and South Africa. While operating in longer wavelengths than JCMT, it represents the future trajectory of large-scale, multi-national radio astronomy and a potential long-term competitor for partner funding.

Others

• Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASIAA): ASIAA is EAO's primary co-governing institution (alongside NARIT) and co-operates SMA. While a partner rather than competitor, ASIAA operates comparable instrumentation programs (including Nā makanui) and shares talent pipelines with EAO.
• National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT): NARIT is EAO's co-governing institution alongside ASIAA and operates the Thai National Observatory and radio telescopes. Functions as a regional partner governing body for EAO with financial and operational oversight responsibilities.

Regional players

• Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI): KASI is South Korea's national astronomy institute and an EAO partner providing supplemental JCMT proposal calls for Korean PIs. Operates the KVN (Korean VLBI Network) and partners on EAVN, overlapping with EAO on VLBI and East Asian astronomy programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/eao_jcmt
• Facebookfacebook.com/EAObservatory
• Instagraminstagram.com/eao_jcmt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/east-asian-observatorg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about East Asian Observatory