NCCR PlanetS

28/10/2026

What happens to a planetary system when its star dies? Using ESO’s Very Large Telescope, astronomers have discovered an unusual double disc of debris around a white dwarf. The structure suggests that planetary bodies can survive the violent death of their star, offering a fascinating glimpse into the possible future of our own Solar System. Read more at www.eso.org/public/unitedkingdom/news/eso2613/?lang

Was bleibt von einem Sonnensystem, wenn sein Stern stirbt? Forschende haben mit dem Very Large Telescope der ESO eine ungewöhnliche doppelte Trümmerscheibe um einen Weissen Zwerg entdeckt. Die Struktur deutet darauf hin, dass sogar der gewaltsame Tod eines Sterns von planetaren Körpern überlebt werden kann – und eröffnet einen faszinierenden Blick in die mögliche Zukunft unseres Sonnensystems. Mehr dazu unter www.eso.org/public/switzerland-de/news/eso2613/?nolang

27/10/2026

Hera arrives at Didymos and Dimorphos!

Our Hera spacecraft can now see Didymos and Dimorphos as two separate asteroids! 👀

Coming closer, it will study the effects of NASA's 2022 DART impact and help advance asteroid deflection as a planetary defence technique.

The first detailed images of Dimorphos are expected on 25 November.

Follow Hera’s journey with the Hera Space Companion 👉 hera.esa.int

🔗 esa.int/Space_Safety/Hera/First_light_Hera_resolves_two_asteroids_instead_of_one

26/10/2026

Who has access to space – and who gets to decide? The documentary To the Moon and Back follows two young scientists pursuing their dream of reaching the Moon. Join director Elisa Gómez Alvarez, protagonist Ilyasse Taame and astrophysicist Prof. Audrey Vorburger for a panel discussion exploring access to space and science, societal questions and the future of space exploration. Moderation: Robin Bonny
📆 Monday, 2 November 2026, 19:00 (NEW TIME)
📍 Cinematte, Wasserwerkgasse 7, 3011 Bern
🎟️ Tickets at https://tinyurl.com/meszrt4e

Wer hat Zugang zum Weltraum – und wer entscheidet darüber? Der Dokumentarfilm «To the Moon and Back» begleitet zwei junge Wissenschaftler:innen, die ihren Traum von der Mondmission verwirklichen wollen. Verfolgt die Podiumsdiskussion (in Englisch) mit der Regisseurin Elisa Gómez Alvarez, dem Protagonisten Ilyasse Taame und der Astrophysikerin Prof. Audrey Vorburger, bei der es um den Zugang zum Weltraum und zur Wissenschaft, gesellschaftliche Fragen sowie die Zukunft der Weltraumforschung geht. Moderation: Robin Bonny
📆 Montag, 2. November 2026, 19:00 (NEUE ZEIT)
📍 Cinematte, Wasserwerkgasse 7, 3011 Bern
🎟️ Tickets unter https://tinyurl.com/meszrt4e

22/10/2026

A planet that isn’t quite round! Using the James Webb Space Telescope, researchers have studied a giant gas planet distorted by its extreme proximity to its host star. The observations offer new insights into the astonishing diversity of worlds beyond our Solar System. Read more at https://tinyurl.com/h8efv96c

Ein Planet, der nicht ganz rund ist! Mit dem James-Webb-Weltraumteleskop haben Forschende einen riesigen Gasplaneten untersucht, der durch seine extreme Nähe zu seinem Stern stark verformt wird. Die Beobachtungen eröffnen neue Einblicke in die faszinierende Vielfalt fremder Welten. Mehr dazu unter https://tinyurl.com/h8efv96c

07/10/2026

In space, new stars and planetary systems form amid a dense chemical mixture. An international research team co-led by the University of Bern has now demonstrated, through the large-scale COMPASS project at the ALMA Observatory, that young, Sun-like stars are surrounded by a surprisingly rich “chemical starter kit” – including methanol in previously unexpected forms and abundances. The results provide new insights into how early chemical processes might shape the subsequent formation of planets – and possibly life. Read more at https://tinyurl.com/ycsyywmp

28/09/2026

🌍🚀 JUICE has successfully completed its Earth flyby! The manoeuvre has fine-tuned the ESA spacecraft’s trajectory towards Jupiter, bringing it one step closer to its destination. Read more at https://tinyurl.com/2bektwuv
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🌍🚀 JUICE hat seinen Vorbeiflug an der Erde erfolgreich absolviert! Das Manöver hat die Flugbahn der ESA-Raumsonde zum Jupiter weiter optimiert und bringt sie ihrem Ziel ein Stück näher. Mehr dazu unter https://tinyurl.com/2bektwuv
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24/09/2026

Did Venus once swallow its own moon? New simulations suggest that the planet’s extremely slow rotation could have caused a former moon to spiral inward until it eventually crashed into Venus. The study offers a new explanation for why our planetary neighbour has no moon today.

Study says that if Venus ever did have a moon, the planet's spin and gravity would cause the moon to be swallowed by it.

22/09/2026

Are moons forming around a young exoplanet? Observations of PDS 70c reveal a dense ring of dust around the planet – potentially a nursery for new moons. Astronomers may be getting a rare glimpse of a moon system in the making. Read more at https://tinyurl.com/3uwkkke3

Entstehen gerade Monde um einen jungen Exoplaneten? Beobachtungen von PDS 70c zeigen einen dichten Staubring in seiner Umgebung – möglicherweise eine Kinderstube für neue Monde. Damit könnten Astronomen erstmals beobachten, wie ein Mondsystem entsteht. Mehr dazu unter https://tinyurl.com/3uwkkke3

20/09/2026

Meet Elias 2-24 b, the youngest known planet: less than one million years old and still growing within the disk of gas and dust surrounding its young star. The Jupiter-mass world offers a rare glimpse into planet formation in action.

Astronomers have confirmed a world that’s less than a million years old as the youngest known planet, using data from NASA-funded archives. Called Elias 2-24

18/09/2026

A new crater on the Moon! The 222-metre-wide, 43-metre-deep McGetchin crater formed in 2024 when an asteroid or comet – potentially as large as a six-storey building – slammed into the lunar surface.

It started as a routine data-quality check. But as Robert Wagner, a scientist with NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), scanned a giant Moon map on his