Internal Newsletter
Observing planets as they form
By Christoph Mordasini Astrophysics – the branch of physics that aims at explaining astronomical observations – differs from most other branches of physics by the comparatively minor availability or sometimes even absence of laboratory experiments. While crucial laboratory experiments do exist for several physical systems and processes that are relevant in astrophysics and in particular […]
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“Now CHEOPS is ready for transport to Kourou”
The space telescope CHEOPS is foreseen to launch in the last quarter of 2019. “In July, we carried out the final tests on the instrument at Airbus in Madrid,” says project manager Christopher Broeg: “Now CHEOPS is ready for transport to Kourou.” PlanetS: The work on the CHEOPS space telescope was actually completed months ago […]
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More than 1800 planetologists expected in Geneva
While the EPSC (European Planetary Science Congress) and the meeting of the Division of Planetary Science (DPS, USA) are planetology congresses that take place every year on their respective continents, the conference that brings together the two entities, the EPSC-DPS joint meeting, takes place every four years alternately in the USA and Europe. This year, […]
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“My work is completely different now”
For 15 years Annette Jäckel has been working for the comet mission Rosetta. Now, as a grants advisor at the University of Bern, she supports researchers in physics, astronomy and geology in raising competitive third-party funds. “I enjoy providing this service, I’ve always been customer-oriented,” she says. Annette Jäckel knows the career concerns of young […]
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Conflict- and Leadership Management
Workshop for Project Leaders at PlanetS When scientists make the transition to leadership or managerial positions, competences are required that are usually not part of their specialised training. The Academic Platform has therefore organised a 2-day workshop on conflict- and leadership management. It took place in Bern in December 2018 and June 2019. By Nadine […]
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A look back at Bern im All
“Bern im All” (Bern in Space) was a science festival during the last week of June. It was dedicated to everyone and was greatly appreciated by the general public and the scientific community around the University of Bern. Events took place at the University of Bern and the Grosse Schanze, the Kursaal, the Bundesplatz, and […]
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Journalists from all over the world
During the first week of July 2019, science journalists from around the world gathered in Lausanne for a conference. On their last day, field trips took them to different places in Switzerland including the Geneva Observatory, Gornergrat and the University of Bern. “I never thought that a small institute like the one in Geneva would […]
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The important role of La Silla
By Pierre Bratschi About 80 astronomers were invited by ESO to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the La Silla Observatory. An event that may seem anachronistic in the era of the VLT, the ELT, and of the JWST, indeed what else can we expect from an observatory that has “only” two “small” 3.6m telescopes? How can […]
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La Silla, an observatory with a bright future
Since its inauguration in 1969, ESO’s La Silla Observatory has been at the forefront of astronomy. Its state-of-the-art instruments have enabled astronomers to make fundamental discoveries and paved the way for future generations of telescopes. After 50 years of activity, the La Silla Observatory remains a reference in the field and has recently been given […]
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The surprising paths of astronomy
Many young researchers are concerned about their professional future. In the InsiderS newsletter, we introduce physicists who did not take the direct path to a professorship, but nevertheless made a successful career, like Stéphane Berthet, Vice-Rector of the University of Geneva. Stéphane Berthet was born in Geneva in 1960 and studied in the same city. […]
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