Internal Newsletter
Junior Research Assembly (JURA) 2022
The latest Junior Research Assembly (JURA) took place from the 4th to the 6th of April. Young researchers from the four universities that are part of NCCR PlanetS were invited to this 3-day event hosted at Hotel Meielisalp in Leissigen. There was a lot of motivation to participate from all universities, with an impressive number […]
Continue ReadingCaSSIS Book
The Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS) is a visual imaging system that was built by the University of Bern with support from several institutions in Europe and the US. The NCCR contributed to CaSSIS in the early phases and was very important in supporting its genesis. The camera was launched from Baikonur onboard […]
Continue ReadingInsiderS Editorial
Dear NCCR PlanetS members and associates, It has been a while since the last issue of the internal newsletter and much has happened in the mean time. This was evident at the first in-person General Assembly in two years, where many new faces could be seen. The 4-day event was a very rewarding event for […]
Continue ReadingGeneral Assembly 2022 in Grindelwald
The first in-person General Assembly in two years took place in Grindelwald. Nearly 150 members and associates, as well as the Advisory Board, gathered there to present and listen to each other’s research progress, catch up with or meet colleagues in-person for the first time and overall enjoyed a very rewarding time. After two years […]
Continue ReadingPrestigious Grants and Honors of PlanetS members
Despite the difficulties that the pandemic brought with it, our members have been incredibly successful in applying for prestigious grants and were honored with exceptional awards and prizes. Below follows an overview of some of the more recent examples. Paolo Sossi (ETHZ) and Brice Demory (UBE) won Starting and Consolidator Grants from the European […]
Continue ReadingWhen in doubt, aim high
Veerle Sterken had been away from a paid job in cosmic dust science for three years. Then she convinced the European Research Council (ERC) to fund her project on interstellar dust. That kick-started her “second career” in astrophysics and led to her project being welcomed into PlanetS by the board. “I will send out my […]
Continue ReadingThree Earth-like planets identified in two planetary systems
PlanetS astronomers associated with an international team have estimated the density of the planets in two planetary systems. Discovered by the Kepler satellite, K2-32 and K2-233 are planetary systems with 4 and 3 planets respectively. The diameters of the planets have been measured by Kepler thanks to the transit method which uses the obscuration of […]
Continue ReadingScience taught her to stand up for herself
Yogita Kadlag is an astrophysicist from Maharashtra, India. Since October 2019, she’s been a member of the NCCR PlanetS. From her hometown, where she is stranded due to the Corona pandemic, she spoke to us about her work, cultural differences and discrimination. “It’s raining heavily at the moment; can we try again in 20 minutes?”, […]
Continue ReadingChange of personnel in the communication and outreach team
In the spring of this year, Barbara Vonarburg retired. Barbara was part of the communication and outreach team of the NCCR PlanetS from the beginning. As a highly skilled science journalist with experience in both print media and Swiss television, she brought important skills to our team. During her time at PlanetS, Barbara has written […]
Continue ReadingProfessor wanted!
The Space Research and Planetology Division within the Physics Institute of the University of Bern has an opening, as per 1 January 2022, for a full or associate professor (100%) in the field of Theoretical Planetology.
Continue Reading