News
First insights from the DART mission impact
On September 27, the world’s first full-scale planetary defense test against potential asteroid impacts on Earth hit its target. Researchers of the University of Bern and the National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) PlanetS that are involved in NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission give preliminary insights. The final five-and-a-half minutes of images […]
Continue ReadingHow global warming affects astronomical observations
Astronomical observations from ground-based telescopes are sensitive to local atmospheric conditions. Anthropogenic climate change will negatively affect some of these conditions at observation sites around the globe, as a team of researchers led by the University of Bern and the National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) PlanetS report. The quality of ground-based astronomical observations […]
Continue Reading2022 Farinella Prize Awarded to Julie Castillo-Rogez and Martin Jutzi
Dr Julie Castillo-Rogez, a planetary scientist working at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California (USA), and Dr Martin Jutzi, a physicist working at the Physics Institute of University of Bern (Switzerland) have been awarded jointly the 2022 Paolo Farinella Prize for their outstanding contributions to the field of “Asteroids: Physics, Dynamics, Modelling and Observations” […]
Continue ReadingBringing astronomical innovation to markets
The first edition of the Astronomical Innovation event, co-organized by the PlanetS Technology & Innovation Platform (TIP) and the Science Innovation Hub (SIH) of the University of Geneva, took place at the Geneva Observatory in June. There, researchers learned of the support that PlanetS and its member institutions can provide in exploring the path to […]
Continue ReadingGetting close to space at the Night of Research
Last Saturday, the fourth “Night of Research” took place at the University of Bern. Members of the National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) PlanetS were also there and took visitors on a voyage of discovery into space. “My comet stinks,” exclaimed a young visitor in amazement, pointing to the mass of humus soil, dry […]
Continue ReadingA thousand days of CHEOPS
After a thousand days in orbit, the CHEOPS space telescope shows almost no signs of wear. Under these conditions, it could continue to reveal details of some of the most fascinating exoplanets for quite some time. CHEOPS is a joint mission by the European Space Agency (ESA) and Switzerland, under the aegis of the University […]
Continue ReadingTwo new rocky worlds around an ultra-cool star
An international research team, with the participation of the University of Bern and the National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) PlanetS, discovered two “super-Earth” exoplanets. One is located at just the right distance from its star to potentially hold liquid water on its surface. Most of the planets that have been discovered around other […]
Continue ReadingExplore and discover the universe at «Nacht der Forschung»
On Saturday, 10 September, the University of Bern invites you to the 4th edition of “Nacht der Forschung” (Night of Research) and a voyage of discovery into space with many exciting activities for young and old. And of course you will meet researchers who will give an insight into their work – explained in an […]
Continue ReadingFlyer Programm Nacht der Forschung
Continue ReadingJames Webb Space Telescope detects carbon dioxide in exoplanet atmosphere
The James Webb Space Telescope delivers a sensation right away with its first scientific result: for the first time, CO2 has been conclusively detected in the atmosphere of a planet outside the solar system. Researchers from the University of Bern, the University of Geneva and the National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) PlanetS are […]
Continue Reading