News
A planet inflated like a balloon
Researchers from UNIGE and members of the NCCR PlanetS have found helium in the atmosphere of an exoplanet, swollen like a balloon. Although helium is a rare element on Earth, it is ubiquitous in the Universe. It is, after hydrogen, the main component of stars and gaseous giant planets. Despite its abundance, helium was only […]
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Spotting Protoplanet Collision Afterglows
Planets start out with a bang. During the last stage of planet formation, planetary embryos collide with other protoplanets, causing their surfaces and mantles to extensively melt. Will it be possible to directly image such molten protoplanets with future telescopes? This is the question that was addressed by a team of young PlanetS researchers. Irene […]
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I actually don’t know the answer…
By Ravit Helled Doing research is challenging. Whether we are working on theory or observations, everyday we have to think about new ways to attack our open questions and of new methods and ideas. We need to make sure that we are aware of all the important details, and at the same time keep in […]
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Fine-tuning Espresso
ESPRESSO has been opened to the astronomical community and finally started operations on the 24th of October 2018. Since, it is producing scientific data in the so-called 1-UT mode (one single telescope used), and the first results point towards an amazing measurement precision. “It’s not that bad right now,” says Francesco Pepe of PlanetS and […]
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Ask the NCCR
Do you want to know more about PlanetS, its organization, structure, options, prospects or limitations? After the last General Assembly and some subsequent discussions, we thought that a number of issues might not be clear and asked you to send us all these questions you have about the NCCR that you never had a chance […]
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“I love dealing with topics that go against the grain”
“What am I going to do when my time at PlanetS is up?” This is a question that doctoral students and postdocs who know how few and far between the coveted professorships are must ask themselves. In the InsiderS newsletter, we introduce physicists who have successful careers outside the university. Andreas Hirstein is head of […]
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Knowledge transfer with a short-term project
Are you PhD-student, postdoc or engineer, PlanetS Member or Associate? Have you developed competences or ideas that maybe applied to areas outside your specific research activities? Would you like to have a work experience outside of PlanetS in industry or in another research laboratory/institution for a limited period of time while still being employed by […]
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Facebook volunteers wanted
Adding some valuable skills to your CV in just 5 to 10 minutes per week… impossible you think? Well, you are wrong, it is possible. By Thibaut Roger On the first of March 2016, the NCCR PlanetS, following recommendation of the evaluating panel, created its Facebook page. Two and a half year later, we are […]
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The VLT at Palexpo in Geneva
“When last year the organizers of the Cité des Métiers asked us whether the astronomy department of the University of Geneva would accept to be the guest of honour of the exhibition, we immediately realized that the visibility offered by such an event represented an opportunity to be seized. The rest proved that we were […]
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How do YOU shop?
Gendered marketing seems to be bigger than ever By Nadine Afram Stereotyping at an early age, in fact from the day we are born and surrounded by our pink dolls and pink bedrooms or monster trucks and superheroes, can affect us longer than we like to think. In STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths), women […]
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