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Astronomy in your wallet
There is a good chance that you are carrying 51 Pegasi around with you. The name of the star, around which the Geneva astronomers Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz discovered a planet in 1995, is on the new Swiss 20 franc banknote. In addition, there is a ten-digit number – an example of Swiss banking […]
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A visit of the ice lab
What do the images of Mars, Comet Chury or other celestial bodies really show? For a reliable answer researchers at the University Bern study the optical properties of dust-ice mixtures that are analogs of planetary or cometary surfaces. Have a look at their laboratory.
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Building planets as sandcastles
Planetary formation starts with small dust grains in disks surrounding young stars. But dust growth is hindered by collisional fragmentation and radial drift. So, how are the larger planetesimals, the building blocks of planets, formed? This is still an open question. Now, scientists of PlanetS have found a mechanism bridging the gap between the early […]
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New insights into the Earth’s formation
Meteorites contain far less chlorine, bromine and iodine than previously thought. This was the finding from new measurements carried out by a team of international researchers. The new result allows some interesting conclusions to be drawn about the Earth’s formation: there were phases with an abundance of volatile elements on the Earth’s surface right from […]
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The history of CHEOPS
Engineers at the University of Bern are developing the CHEOPS space telescope. From Earth´s orbit, this telescope is supposed to measure the diameter of exoplanets which are light-years away from us and pass in front of their host star. Swiss astronomers had the idea for CHEOPS back in 2008. Willy Benz, professor at the Physics […]
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Fairing sticker competition
Are you a student of graphic art or design or an early career graphic artist or designer? Then, you might be interested in participating in a competition organised by the European Space Agency ESA. The winner will get the unique opportunity to feature his or her work on the rocket carrying the CHEOPS satellite into […]
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Cassini – the big dive
On September 15, 2017, the Cassini probe completed its last orbit around Saturn before diving into its atmosphere. A touching end to the mission for the team of planetary scientists, engineers and other researchers who have been following the spacecraft’s feats since its launch 20 years ago. “If we let the spacecraft indefinitely orbit Saturn, […]
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Closest Temperate World Orbiting Quiet Star Discovered
A temperate Earth-sized planet has been discovered only 11 light-years from the Solar System by a team including member of PlanetS using ESO’s unique planet-hunting HARPS instrument. The new world has the designation Ross 128 b and is now the second-closest temperate planet to be detected after Proxima b. It is also the closest planet […]
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Testing a new approach to high-contrast imaging
To directly image exoplanets, coronagraphs are usually used to block the light from the host star. Instead of using a traditional coronagraphic phase mask, Jonas Kühn relies on a new, digital technology. His phase coronagraph is an active optical modulator based on a pixelated liquid crystals display panel. In his laboratory at ETH Zurich, the […]
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About micro-sexism and work-life balance
“At the weekend, only do what you want to do. That can be work, sometimes, but it doesn’t have to be” By Nadine Afram In online interviews (SurveyMonkey) with 5 international female professors in (Astro-) Physics, I wanted to know about, e.g. their experiences with work-life balance, the (least) favorite parts of their jobs, their […]
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