Solar System

The Moon is much older than previously thought. Its crust was reheated after its formation - and has thus misled researchers in determining its age more

The Sun should be capable of eruptions that are a hundred times stronger than the strongest flare ever recorded. This is shown by an analysis of over 50,000 sun-like stars. more

Newly analyzed data from ESA’s Solar Orbiter spacecraft offer the first high-resolution view of the entire solar disk more

Bright yellow deposits in Consus Crater bear witness to dwarf planet Ceres' cryovolcanic past - and revive the debate about its place of origin. more

In young planetary systems, gas giants form more efficiently and faster than previously assumed as shown by new computer simulations. more

Photos from the landing site show, that observatory is in good shape after its stratospheric research flight more

From the stratosphere, the balloon-borne solar observatory has a clear view of the sun more

The BepiColombo space probe measures carbon ions escaping from the atmosphere of Venus and thus helps to decipher the special development of Venus more

Discovery of giant exomoons around the planets Kepler-1625b and Kepler-1708b called into question more

How an exoplanet survived the rebellion of its home star more

Measurements from the last phases of the Cassini mission show how dynamic processes in the Saturnian system shape the moons Pan, Daphnis, Atlas, Pandora, and Epimetheus. more

Rearchers analyse which chemical elements make up comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko more

Five instruments from the Rosetta spacecraft recorded the eruption of jets of dust on 67P/Chruyumov-Gerasimenko more

Astronomers achieve record measurement for an improved picture of our home galaxy more

Ten observatories put their sight on the dwarf planet more

An object with the name 288P is the only known active asteroid comprising two components more

Max Planck researchers explain why our Sun's brightness fluctuates more

IRAM’s 30-metre dish is part of the Event Horizon Telescope which is looking into the centre of the Milky Way more

Space travel visionaries solve the problem of interstellar slowdown at our stellar neighbour more

The cameras of the Dawn space probe discover water ice in Ceres’ polar region. It can survive for aeons in the extreme cold traps, even though there is no atmosphere. more

Interview with Reinhard Genzel, director at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) and architect of the 30-year programme that led to the discovery of the Schwarzschild precession around the black hole at the heart of our Milky Way. Genzel describes the general relativity effect observed by his team and how it can be used to study the galactic gravity trap.Reinhard Genzel receives the Nobel Prize for Physics 2020
Digital Story: Reinhard Genzel more

Solar flares don’t just create beautiful polar lights, but can also damage satellites and disrupt power grids. Astrophysicist Sami Solanki attached a telescope to a giant helium balloon to research into the activity of the Sun. more