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Cosmic ravioli and spaetzle
The small inner moons of Saturn look like giant ravioli and spaetzle. Their spectacular shape has been revealed by the Cassini spacecraft. For the first time, researchers of the University of Bern (Switzerland) show how these moons were formed. The peculiar shapes are a natural outcome of merging collisions among similar-sized little moons as computer […]
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First detection of Helium in an exoatmosphere
For the first time, an international team of astronomers including members of PlanetS has detected helium in an exoplanet’s atmosphere. Early theoretical models predicted helium to be among the most readily-detectable species in the atmospheres of exoplanets, especially in extended and escaping atmospheres. However, searches for helium have been unsuccessful until now. By measuring the […]
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CaSSIS sends first colour images from Mars
The Mars camera CaSSIS on the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter has returned its first colour images of the red planet. The camera system, which was developed at the University of Bern, is now ready for the start of its prime mission on April 28, 2018. The Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS) has been […]
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An amazingly wide variety of disks
With an instrument at the Very Large Telescope in Chile scientists of ETH Zurich and NCCR PlanetS observed planet-forming disks around young stars similar to the sun 4,5 billion years ago. Surprisingly, the disks are very different. The largest extends almost ten times further into space than the smallest. The data will help to shed […]
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An important milestone
Dear Reader, In October 2012, CHEOPS was selected as the first small mission in ESA’s science programme. This week, 65 months of intense work later, we are essentially ready to ship the telescope to Airbus Defense and Space in Madrid to be integrated onto the platform for a launch from Kourou in French Guyana in […]
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CHEOPS leaves the University of Bern
Construction of the space telescope CHEOPS is finished. The engineers from the Center for Space and Habitability (CSH) at the University of Bern will package the instrument this week and send it to Madrid, where it will be integrated on the satellite platform. CHEOPS (CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite) is to be ready to launch in early […]
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“We have to meet hundreds of requirements”
Christopher Broeg is project manager of the CHEOPS mission. A consortium of more than 100 scientists and engineers in eleven European countries is involved in the mission. At the University of Bern, Christopher Broeg and a team consisting of 15 members have developed, assembled and tested the space telescope over the past five years. The […]
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TESS ready for take-off
NASA plans to launch a new exoplanet satellite called TESS on 16 April 2018. It is expected to discover thousands of exoplanets around nearby bright stars. Members of the NCCR PlanetS are involved in the NASA project and synergies are expected between TESS and CHEOPS, the space mission under co-leadership between Switzerland and ESA. Like […]
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The “La Recherche” prize to Christophe Lovis
Christophe Lovis, a member of NCCR PlanetS at the University of Geneva, received the “La Recherche” prize at the beginning of this year, awarded by the prestigious French magazine of the same name and aimed at the general public. In an article published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophisycs Christophe Lovis and his colleagues demonstrated […]
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„Who doesn’t want to be a comic-strip hero?”
On 28 March 2018, the exhibition “Expedition Sonnensystem – Mit der ETH auf Forschungsreise durchs All” opened to the public at the ETH museum focusTerra in Zurich. Among others, seven scientists from the NCCR PlanetS can be seen there – in comics. PlanetS also contributed financially to the realisation of the exhibition. The new exhibition […]
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