Research & People

Dr. Dominika Wylezalek, Emmy Noether Junior Research Group Leader at ZAH/ARI, received the Hengstberger Award 2024. The award will support Dr. Wylezalek in organising a scientific symposium at the IWH in 2025. (2024/10/19)

The Landessternwarte Königstuhl (LSW) mourns the loss of Dr. Gerhard Klare, who died on July 24, 2024 at the age of 92. (2024/07/25)

Since July 1, 2024, Prof. Dr. Joachim Wambsganss (ZAH/ARI) is director of ZAH. He succeeds Prof. Dr. Norbert Christlieb, who was director since July 1, 2021 and who is now ZAH deputy director. (2024/07/01)

The Young Academy welcomed ten young scientists as new members, amongst them Dominika Wylezalek (ZAH/ARI). New members have the opportunity to e.g. initiate interdisciplinary research projects and working groups. (2024/06/24)

German Research Foundation and Foundation for Polish Science jointly honour Heidelberg scientist and his colleague Andrzej Udalski from Warsaw. (2024/05/22)

The Harvard Radcliffe Institute announced the selection of Ralf Klessen (ZAH/ITA) as a fellow for the academic year 24/25. This provides him the opportunity to pursue ambitious projects in the unique environment of the Institute. (2024/05/13)

For the second time, Anna Pasquali received the teaching award from the Department of Physics and Astronomy of Heidelberg University. (2024/04/24)

Gaia succeeded for the third time in detecting a dormant black hole within the Milky Way. It's the first discovered specimen of a particularly massive category of unknown origin. ARI is playing a leading role in the evaluation of the measurements. (2024/04/16)

The gravitational wave signal GW230529 also provides Heidelberg astrophysicist Michela Mapelli with crucial insights into the evolution of massive binary stars. (24/04/05)

Breathtaking data provide test bench for models of star formation by a research group of Heidelberg University. (2024/04/03)

The most important prize from the German Research Foundation (DFG) for young scientists in Germany goes to Dr. Dominika Wylezalek (ZAH/ARI). (2024/03/25)

NASA decided to release new staggering observations of nearby spiral galaxies. Oleg Egorov from ZAH/ARI is one main contributor to transforming JWST observations into these amazing science data products. (2024/02/13)

Heidelberg University researchers receive computing time for simulating the behaviour of cosmic gases and plasmas during star formation. (2024/01/08)

12 researchers from Heidelberg University feature on the list of “Highly Cited Researchers” 2023. Dylan Nelson (ZAH/ITA) is one of the three natural scientists among the Heidelberg researchers. (2024/01/08)

The Ernst Patzer Foundation is awarding up to three prizes each year for the best refereed publications by doctoral students and young postdocs at MPIA and ZAH. This year, Emily Hunt and Reza Ayromlou are among the awardees. (2023/11/22)

Dr. Mélanie Chevance, Emmy Noether Junior Research Group Leader at ITA/ZAH, received the Hengstberger Award 2023. The award will support Dr. Chevance in organising a scientific symposium at the IWH in 2024. (2023/10/21)

In this new popular science book Eric Bertram and Dominika Wylezalek highlight the apparent coincidences that ultimately gave rise to humans. (2023/10/01)

Heidelberg University appointed Dr Andreas Koch-Hansen as new adjunct professor (apl. Prof.) in recognition of his eligibility for appointment as a professor and achievements in research and teaching. (2023/09/21)

Astronomy & Astrophysics (A&A), a leading research journal for astronomical and astrophysical disciplines, announced the appointment of three new associate editors to its editorial board, including apl. Prof. Dr Andreas Koch-Hansen (ZAH/ARI). (2023/09/19)

Dr Matsuno will start his position at the Astronomisches Rechen-Institut on Oct. 1st. He mainly studies old, low-metallicity stars in the Milky Way to understand the origin of elements and the formation history of the Milky Way. (2023/09/13)

Dr. Andreas Sander (ZAH/ARI) hosted his inspiring "Hengstberger Symposium" on nucleosynthesis and stellar yields of massive stars at the Internationales Wissenschaftsforum Heidelberg (IWH) from September 4th to 8th. (2023/09/08)

Prof. Dave Rupke (Rhodes College, US) started his visitorship at ARI. His research focuses on galactic winds driven by AGN and star formation activity. He is hosted by Dominika Wylezalek. (2023/09/01)

The German Astronomical Society honours Dominika Wylezalek (ZAH/ARI) for her research achievements in the field of galaxy and massive black hole evolution. (2023/30/08)

Dr. Reindl is an expert in the physics of hot compact stars. Funded by a DFG Heisenberg grant, she will establish a new research group at ZAH/LSW. (2023/08/17)

Varsha Ramachandran from ZAH/ARI and her colleagues uncovered the first “stripped” star of intermediate-mass. This discovery is crucial to understanding the origin of heavy elements such as silver and gold. (2023/06/20)

Am 20. Juni 2023 feierte die Landessterwarte auf dem Königstuhl ihr 125jähriges Gründungsjubiläum mit einem Festakt in der Aula der Neuen Universität. (2023/06/21)

Astrophysicist Michela Mapelli is new professor in Computational Astrophysics at Heidelberg University and ZAH/ITA. She investigates the formation channels of binary black holes with numerical models. (2023/06/09)

Scientists from the ZAH, IAC and UNAM identify temperature inhomogeneities in HII regions as the reason for the systematic underestimation of the abundance of heavy elements.(2023/05/17)

The 2023 MERAC Prize for the Best Early Career Researcher is awarded to Dylan Nelson (ZAH/ITA) for his leading role in computational astrophysics. (2023/04/05)

The 2023 MERAC Prize for the Best Early Career Researcher is awarded to Dominika Wylezalek (ZAH/ARI) for her studies of supermassive black holes. (2023/04/05)

Friedrich Röpke (HITS & ZAH/ITA) has been awarded the €2.5 million grant to further explore the enigmatic phase of twin star systems. (2023/03/23)

The new “Ute and Roland Wielen Foundation Fund” shall support science, research and teaching at Heidelberg University, primarily at ARI and ITA. (2023/03/16)

Heading Heidelberg University in future will be molecular biologist Prof. Dr Frauke Melchior. She will take up her new office as of 1 October this year. (2023/03/09)

Data obtained within five years with the eponymous spectrograph at Calar-Alto Observatory have already led to the discovery of 59 partly habitable new exoplanets. (2023/02/22)

Using Webb's image clarity at infrared wavelengths, scientists discover missing pieces of the star formation puzzle. Their findings are now published in a collection of research papers, also with first authors from ZAH. (2023/02/16)

Viele von Klaus Meisenheimer's Weggefährten arbeiten auch am ZAH und möchten seiner Familie ihre aufrichtige Anteilnahme versichern und ihr herzlichstes Beileid zu diesem großen Verlust ausdrücken. (2023/02/10)

Heidelberg astronomers have detected a planet orbiting its star in its habitable zone just 30 light-years away. The discovery was made with measurements carried out with CARMENES. (2023/02/06)

Dr. Hans-Günter Ludwig was appointed Private Lecturer (Priv. Doz.) by the Habilitation Conference of the Department of Physics and Astronomy of Heidelberg University. (2023/02/07)

In fall 2023, the SkyPole facility, funded by the Klaus Tschira Foundation, will enable the observation of constellations, planets and satellites with the naked eye. (2023/02/01)

The recently published CNS5 updates the Gliese-Jahreiß Catalogue of Nearby Stars and contains all known objects located within 25 parsecs of the Sun. Is was now massively improved by Gaia EDR3. (2023/01/25)

Geneviève Parmentier (ZAH/ARI) has started an Individual Research Grant of the DFG to study the evolution of star clusters. (2023/01/14)

The Gaia Collaboration received the 2023 Berkeley Prize for meritorious work in astronomy. This is also a credit to the Gaia team at ARI, led by Michael Biermann! Congrats folks! (2023/01/13)

The Japanese television station NHK interviewed former ARI director Roland Wielen at home for his merits on exploring sun's birthplace. NHK is comparable to our broadcasters ARD/ZDF. (2022/12/01)

Kathryn Kreckel (ZAH/ARI) receives an ERC Starting Grant to track galaxy evolution with precise and accurate metal abundances in the interstellar medium. The Grant totals 1.5 million euros and will start in Oct. 23. (2022/11/22)

The Ernst Patzer Foundation annually honors the best publications by doctoral students and young postdocs at MPIA and ZAH. This year, M.Sc. Jeaeyeon Kim (ZAH/ITA) is one of the award winners. (2022/11/16)

13 researchers from Heidelberg University feature on the list of “Highly Cited Researchers” that has just appeared. Dr Dylan Nelson (ZAH/ITA) is the only natural scientist besides the 12 named physicians. (2022/11/15)

This new book by Jochen Heidt (ZAH/LSW) has been published by Springer Verlag. On 291 pages, it compactly presents everything to do with observing in the infrared. (2022/10/31)

The Hengstberger Award enables young scientists at Heidelberg University to organize their own symposium. This year, Dr Andreas Sander, Junior Research Group Leader at ARI, is one of the three awardees. (2022/10/24)

While observing quasars with JWST a science team under the lead of Dominika Wylezalek (ZAH/ARI) revealed a cluster of galaxies in the process of formation - one of the densest known areas of galaxy formation in the early Universe. (22/10/20)

Dr Martocchia started her new position as Gliese Fellow 2022 at the Astronomisches Rechen-Institut. Her main research interests are focused on understanding the phenomenon of multiple populations in star clusters. (2022/08/01)

On June 13th, the third Gaia data catalog (Gaia DR3) was released, opening a new and spectacular treasure trove for researchers. (2022/06/13)

An international group of astronomers under participation of Ralf Klessen (ITA) found the imprint of the bubbles produced by the explosion of dying stars in the structure of the gas that pervades our galaxy. (2022/05/23)

Dr Mélanie Chevance and her group aims to quantify how matter flows within galaxies. The German Research Foundation (DFG) has allocated 1.7 million Euro to fund the group over a period of six years. (2022/05/23)

Prof. Dr Eva Grebel is the first to win the new medal awarded jointly by the Royal Astronomical Society and the German Astronomical Society. (2022/04/08)

The Hector Fellow Academy has presented the Hector Research Career Development Award. The jury selected three scientists from the applications, including Dylan Nelson, who heads an Emmy Noether research group at ITA. (2022/02/07)

A 3900 light-years-long structure has been identified that consists almost entirely of atomic hydrogen. It provides a unique view of matter at the beginning of the star-formation process. ZAH scientists have contributed to the analysis. (2022/01/10)

In an orbit around a binary star system a planet was discovered, ten times more massive than Jupiter. Dr Sabine Reffert from the Königstuhl State Observatory (Landessternwarte) was involved in the observations and their evaluation. (2021/12/09)

The group led by Dr Andreas Sander will specialize on stellar atmospheres and mass loss from hot massive stars. It is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) with a 1.9 million Euro grant under the Emmy Noether program. (2021/08/01)

Dr Cabrera-Ziri started his new position as Gliese Fellow 2021 at the Astronomisches Rechen-Institut. His main scientific interests are the formation and evolution of star clusters and their chemical properties. (2021/08/01)

The PHANGS-MUSE project published unique observational data on star formation in galaxies. Kathryn Kreckel leads the science working group that studies the connection between gas ionization and star formation. (2021/07/21)

On July 1, 2021, Prof. Dr. Norbert Christlieb started his 3-year term as managing director of the ZAH. He is the successor of Prof. Dr. Cornelis Dullemond. (2021/07/01)

Black holes at the center of large galaxies influence star formation in their satellite galaxies. A research group including Dylan Nelson (ZAH/ITA) published this impressive result in NATURE. (2021/06/14)

Prof. Dr. Eva Grebel has been elected a member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina in recognition of her scientific achievements. (2021/06/13)

Wuji Wang (ZAH/ARI) is the first Heidelberg doctoral student to receive observation time at the new James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). (2021/04/20)

Detecting gravitational redshift was i.a. made possible by simulations carried out by Hans-Günter Ludwig ZAH/LSW) and helped filtering disturbing effects of the bubbling sun surface on absorption lines used to measure the effect. (2021/03/24)

The new super-Earth named Gliese 486b with a planetary atmosphere will help testing methods of studying exoplanet atmospheres. The CARMENES instrument, partly constructed and operated by LSW, was decisively involved. (2021/03/05)

A team led by C. Federrath (ANU) and R. Klessen (ZAH) has carried out the highest-resolution simulations to date to study the transition from turbulence in the supersonic and subsonic range in interstellar gas. (2021/01/11)

With this prize, Baden-Württemberg honors researchers who have left a beaten path and carried on with courage and risk. Jenny Wagner (ZAH/ARI) has done so in the field of gravitational lensing. (2020/12/21)

Prof. Dr Saskia Hekker receives an ERC Consolidator Grant for excellent young researchers. A total of 2 million euros has been earmarked for funding her research. (2020/12/09)

Ultra-realistic simulations lift curtains to understanding star formation in the Galaxy’s very heart. (2020/12/07)

The Gaia Early Data Release 3 provides ultraprecise data on 1.8 billion celestial objects and will be celebrated in an international online event. (2020/12/01)

Dr Giulia Despali starts her new position as Gliese Fellow 2020 at the Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics. (2020/11/27)

The Ernst Patzer Foundation annually honors the best publications by doctoral students and young postdocs at MPIA and ZAH. This year, Dr Alessandro Savino (ZAH / ARI) one of the award winners. (2020/11/03)

An international team of astrophysicists led by Diederik Kruijssen has succeeded in reconstructing the first complete family tree of our home galaxy by analysing the properties of globular clusters with artificial intelligence. (2020/11/13)

The group led by Dr Dylan Nelson will specialize in computational galaxy formation and evolution. It is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) with a 1.3 million Euro grant under the Emmy Noether program. (2020/11/01)

Dr Dehnen is an expert in the dynamics of galaxies, including numerical techniques, and generally interested in any dynamical aspects of gravitational systems. (2020/10/01)

Prof. Hekker is leader of the new research group “Theory and Observations of Stars” at HITS and new member of the ZAH directorate. She is expert on studying the internal structure of stars by methods of asteroseismology. (2020/09/01)

A new Emmy Noether Research Group at ZAH/ARI has started working on understanding how galaxies form and evolve and is led by Dr Dominika Wylezalek. The German Research Foundation (DFG) has allocated 1.6 mill. Euros over six years. (2020/09/01)

The new simulation code developed by Eric Pellegrini (ZAH/ITA) and colleagues self-consistently predicts the emission received from gas and molecular clouds engulfing star clusters. (2020/07/30)

Dr Anastasia Fialkov from the Institute of Astronomy in Cambridge (UK) receives a guest professorship as part of the Excellence Strategy of Heidelberg University. Dr Fialkov is an expert in 21cm cosmology and reionisation. (2020/07/24)

Interconnected Gas Flows Show how Star-Forming Gas Accumulates in Galaxies. (2020/07/06)

A team of researchers led by high-energy astrophysicist Felix Spanier (ZAH/ITA) receives 35 million hours of CPU computing time on SuperMUC-NG to improve neutrino mass measurements at KATRIN. (2020/06/20)

Das Astronomische Rechen-Institut hat die Astronomischen Grundlagen für den Kalender 2022 veröffentlicht. Diese bilden eine Grundlage für eine Vielzahl von Kalenderwerken. (2020/05/06)

Der Astrophysiker wurde prämiert für seine Beiträge zum Verständnis der Prozesse, die Sternentstehung und Bildung von Sternhaufen steuern. (2020/04/17)

If black holes and neutron stars merge within star clusters this only shakes space-time without any electromagnetic emission. (2020/03/05)

Dr. Anna Pasquali was appointed Private Lecturer (Priv. Doz.) yesterday by the Habilitation Conference of the Department of Physics and Astronomy of Heidelberg University. (2020/01/30)

Carolin Kimmig, BA student at ITA under supervison of Prof. Dullemond has shown, that a magnetocentrifugal wind-loss of protoplanetary disks could be strong enough to significantly change the orbits of protoplanets. (2020/01/09)

Apl. Prof. Dr. Stefan Wagner (LSW) appointed as new director of the H.E.S.S. Experiment and as Spokesperson of the H.E.S.S. collaboration. (2019/11/19)

A researchers team with Andreas Koch (ZAH/ARI) completed the largest survey to date of the ultrafaint outskirts of nearby galaxies. These appear to correlate with brightness and type of a galaxy undermining their common formation scenario. (2019/10/22)

Dr. Anna Pasquali has received the teaching prize of the Department of Physics and Astronomy. (2019/10/18)

International research team with Ralf Klessen studies the Milky Way as a “galactic ecosystem”. The project is being funded with approximately 12.7 million euros. (2019/10/11)

German-British research team simulates basic conditions for the formation of magnetic stars. (2019/10/10)

A new Emmy Noether Research Group at ZAH has started working on resolving the baryon cycle in nearby galaxies and is led by Dr Kathryn Kreckel. The German Research Foundation (DFG) has allocated 1.7 mill. euros over six years. (2019/10/01)

The "Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS)" detected an exoplanet orbiting the star GJ 357. Analysis of measurements, to which the CARMENES spectrograph has contributed, revealed one further planet inside the habitable zone. (2019/08/01)

Symposium 2019 der Hector Fellow Academy am Donnerstag, 11. Juli 2019, mit Vorträgen von Hector Fellow Prof. Dr. Eva Grebel und Prof. Dr. Joachim Wambsganß. Durch das Programm führt Prof. Dr. Harald Lesch. (9.07.2019)

CARMENES helps international research team with Heidelberg participation to find companions of “Teegarden’s Star”. (18.06.2019)

Young stars heat molecular clouds and drive hot interstellar gas bubbles throughout galaxies. (22.05.2019)

Heidelberg astronomers find first signs that Brown Dwarfs can also form like a planet in a protoplanetary disk. (10.04.2019)

TV broadcaster "3sat" has released an interesting TV-report on the Gaia mission. Stefan Jordan explains some highlight of the first science that has been performed with the Gaia Data Release 2, published on April 25, 2018. (25.2.2019)

Heidelberg researchers verify this phenomenon using Gaia data from the Hyades. (15.2.2019)

Heidelberg researchers used simulations to investigate how the formation conditions of open star clusters affect their long-term evolution. The simulations indicate that they exist 100 times longer than previously assumed. (14.01.2019)

The first survey of protoplanetary disks using the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) revealed unknown structures which likely are the sites for planets to be formed. ZAH is one of the leading partners of the campaign. (12.12.2018)

CARMENES detects atmospheric loss of helium from exoplanet WASP-69b in the form of an extended comet-like tail. (6.12.2018)

Each year the Ernst Patzer Foundation is awarding three of the best refereed publications by PhD students and young postdocs at MPIA and ZAH. In 2018, Michael Hanke (ZAH/ARI) and Dr. Mattia Sormani (ZAH/ITA) are among the awardees. (30.11.2018)

Funding has been continued for CRC 881 "The Milky Way System” with approx. 9.4 million euros reaching its third and final funding period from 2019-2022. (26.11.2018)

ZAH researchers of the Landessternwarte (LSW) played a key role in the construction of the highly complex planet hunter CARMENES. (15.11.2018)

Dr. Fabian Schneider has taken up his new position as Gliese Fellow 2018 at the Astronomisches Rechen-Institut. (01.10.2018)

Heidelberg has won support for two proposals from the Clusters of Excellence funding line. The "STRUCTURES" proposal will have heavy impact on local astrophysical research. (28.09.2018)

Using astrometric measurements of the Gaia satellite Heidelberg astronomers for the first time predict star approaches with extreme precision. (26.07.2018)

Prof. Dr. Björn Malte Schäfer mit Lehrpreis der Fakultät für Physik und Astronomie ausgezeichnet. (25.04.2018)

Heute wurde der erste umfangreiche Gaia-Sternkatalog veröffentlicht. Damit begann eine neue Ära in der Erforschung der Milchstraße. (25.04.2018)

Based on previously published data from the Gaia Mission, researchers at Heidelberg University have derived the conditions under which stars form. The analysis points to a new view of star formation. (24.04.2018)

For the last 15 years the H.E.S.S. telescopes have surveyed the Milky Way in gamma-ray light. The H.E.S.S. collaboration has now published its largest set of science results in an "anniversery issue" of A&A (09.04.18)

Researchers from Liverpool and Heidelberg use computer simulations to explain their formation. They suggest that globular clusters were formed via the same mechanisms as our home galaxy's new-born stars. (6.04.2018).

Das Astronomische Rechen-Institut hat die Astronomischen Grundlagen für den Kalender 2020 veröffentlicht. Diese sind eine Grundlage für die Herstellung von Kalendern durch entsprechende Verlage. (29.03.18)

State of the art numerical simulations performed by a team of astrophysicist at ZAH/ITA explain a hitherto unsolved mystery: the formation of a young star cluster in an old parent cluster of stars observed in the Large Magellanic Cloud. (01.03.2018)

The Amerikan Physical Society (APS) honors Prof. Dr. Matthias Bartelmann as Outstanding Referee for quality, number and timeliness of his reports. (23.02.2018)

The Adaptive Matched Identifier of Clustered Objects (AMICO) is a new algorithm which allows an efficient detection and first characterization of structures in wide field surveys. Matteo Maturo (ZAH/ITA) is one of the scientists who participated in its development. (1.02.2018)

Die Astrophysikerin Dr. Gabriella De Lucia ist mit dem Forschungspreis der Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung ab Februar 2018 zu Gast am Astronomischen Rechen-Institut. (11.12.2017)

Das Bundesminsterium der Finanzen würdigt mit der Herausgabe von Sondermarken die Erfolge des Gravitationswellendetektors LIGO und des Astrometriesatelliten Gaia. (7.12.2017)

The Ernst Patzer Foundation is awarding up to three prizes each year for the best refereed publications by PhD students and young postdocs at MPIA and ZAH. This year, Marta Reina-Campos (ZAH/ARI) and Daniel Rahner (ZAH/ITA) will be awarded for their outstanding papers. (2.11.2017)

This DFG Priority Programme (SPP) is designed to run for six years. ZAH scientists participate with five projects. (1.10.17)

Die Mitgliederversammlung der Astronomischen Gesellschaft hat auf ihrer wissenschaftlichen Jahrestagung Prof. Dr. Joachim Wambsganß zu ihrem neuen Präsidenten gewählt. (22.09.17)

Dr. Kruijssen überzeugte durch seine Arbeiten zur Entstehung von Sternen und Sternhaufen, die insbesondere in Forschungen zur Galaxienentwicklung breite Anwendung finden. (06.09.2017)

The unexpected discovery of numerous ultra-diffuse galaxies is both remarkable and puzzling (22.08.2017)

Heidelberg and Oxford researchers use comprehensive model to simulate gas motion in the central region of our galaxy. (13.07.2017)

Collapsing supermassive stars turned out to be possible seed grains of gigantic black holes in the hearts of Quasars. Lionel Haemmerle and Ralf Klessen (ZAH/ITA) are part of the science team which run the break-through simulations. (02.07.2017)

Extensive simulations run by Prof. Rainer Spurzem (ZAH/ARI) and collaborators reveal new facet of globular clusters: they seem to harbour a lot more black holes than expected. (26.06.2017)

The Pale Red Dot campaign launched a further initiative to search for Earth-like planets around closest stars to our Sun. Yiannis Tsapras (ZAH/ARI) is part of the team. (19.06.2017)

Die Universität Heidelberg hat Dr. Simon Glover am 29. Mai 2017 zum außerplanmäßigen Professor (apl. Prof.) ernannt. (01.06.2017)

Zdenek Prudil joined the Hector Fellow Academy for his outstanding research proposal. At ARI he will i.a. work on RR Lyrae stars as tracers of substructure under supervision of Hector Fellow Prof. Eva Grebel. (01.04.2017)

DFG fördert neuen CARMENES-Forschungsverbund zur Suche nach erdähnlichen Planeten. Die Landesternwarte Königstuhl ist daran maßgeblich beteiligt. (31.03.2017)

Die "Pale Red Dot"-Kampagne zur Suche nach Planeten um den sonnennächsten Stern Proxima Centauri wurde mit dem "Guardian Award" der internationalen Tageszeitung "the guardian" ausgezeichnet. (30.04.2017)

Die Kalendergrundlagen für das Jahr 2019 sind jetzt erschienen. Sie sind ausschließlich über "Der Kleine Buch Verlag" zu beziehen. (20.03.2017)

Three working groups from the Landessternwarte Königstuhl of the Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg (ZAH), the Institute of Physics I of the University of Cologne, and the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics in Potsdam have started to develop a new technology for astronomical research: Astronomical Instrumentation through Photonic Reformatting. The German Research Foundation (DFG) has approved funding of approx. 1.1 million euros for the three-year project, which recently started work. (March 8, 2017)

Heidelberg astrophysicist Dr Frank Bigiel is receiving a highly endowed grant from the European Research Council (ERC), an ERC Consolidator Grant for extraordinary research talents. The researcher is particularly interested in how the physical and chemical properties of the interstellar medium "regulate" the birth of stars in galaxies. The approx. 1.7 million euros in ERC funds will support the project over a five-year period. (22.02.2017)

Der mexikanische Astrophysiker Prof. Dr. Javier Ballesteros-Paredes ist mit dem Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel-Forschungspreis der Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung zu Gast am ZAH und arbeitet mit Prof. Dr. Ralf Klessen vom Institut für Theoretische Astrophysik zusammen. (21.12.2016)

Dr. Diederik Kruijssen is receiving an ERC Starting Grant for excellent young researchers from the European Research Council (ERC). The five-year grant will cover a project in which the researcher will investigate the physics of star formation in galaxies across cosmic time. (15.12.2016)

In Anerkennung seines großen Engagements, seiner exzellenten Lehre und der grossen Begeisterung, die er bei seinen Studenten auslöst, wurde Prof. Dr. Matthias Bartelmann mit dem Lehrpreis der Fakultät für Physik und Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg ausgezeichnet. (7.12.2016)

Highly Cited Researchers 2016 represents the world’s most cited scientific minds. In the category "Space Science", Prof. Volker Springel (HITS and ZAH/ARI) earned this distinction and was the third time after 2014 ranked among the top 1% most cited for their subject field. (22.11.2016)

Prof. Dr. Joachim Wambsganß wird mit dem Georg-Kerschensteiner-Preis 2017 für Beiträge zur Didaktik und Schulphysik ausgezeichnet. Der stellvertretende Direktor des Zentrums für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg (ZAH) erhält die Auszeichnung der Deutschen Physikalischen Gesellschaft (DPG) für sein Multimedia-Projekt „Universum für alle“. (22.11.2016)

According to the recently published ranking of the American magazine U.S. News & World Report, the Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg (ZAH) is No.1 among German universities. Heidelberg University overall ranked second in Germany, after Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich. All in all, Heidelberg University did very well: In nine academic disciplines, Heidelberg University was listed among the top three in Germany. Evaluation criteria include research reputation and publications, a total of twelve variously weighted indicators are used to generate the ranking. (01.11.2016)

An international team of astronomers with Heidelberg participation simulates the appearance of gravitational waves after the collision of two galaxies. Obvioulsy, the merging of their central black holes occures 100 times more quickly than previously assumed. (07.10.2016)

Dr. Markus Kromer has taken up his new position as the Gliese Fellow 2016 at the Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics (ITA) of the ZAH and at the Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies (HITS). (01.10.2016)

Seit Juli 2014 vermisst der Satellit Gaia dreidimensional die Milchstraße. An der Mission ist das Astronomische Rechen-Institut (ARI) am Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg (ZAH) maßgeblich beteiligt. Ein erster Sternkatalog mit Daten von 1,143 Milliarden Sternen wurde am Mittwoch, 14. September 2016, erfolgreich öffentlich zugänglich gemacht. Eine neuer Film erklärt die Hintergründe. (14.09.2016)

Ein internationales Team von Astronomen, zu dem Dr. Yannis Tsapras vom Astronomischen Rechen-Institut (ARI) gehört, hat eindeutige Hinweise auf einen Planeten gefunden, der den sonnennächsten Stern Proxima Centauri umkreist. Der neu entdeckte Planet wurde auf den Namen „Proxima b“ getauft. (24.08.2016)

A new Emmy Noether research group at the Zentrum der Universität Heidelberg (ZAH) has started working on the physics of star formation in galaxies across cosmic time spans. The research team is led by Dr. Diederik Kruijssen and investigates the physical processes of galaxy formation in early ages of the universe. (23.08.2016)

Prof. Dr. Volker Springel, Leiter der Forschungsgruppe „Theoretische Astrophysik“ am Heidelberger Institut für Theoretische Studien (HITS) und Professor für Theoretische Astrophysik an der Universität Heidelberg, ist in Anerkennung seiner wissenschaftlichen Leistungen zum Mitglied der Nationalen Akademie der Wissenschaften Leopoldina gewählt worden. (14.07.2016)

Prof. Dr. Eva Grebel ist für eine zweite Amtszeit in den Senat der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) gewählt worden. Prof. Grebel wird diesem wissenschaftspolitischen Gremium für weitere vier Jahre angehören und wieder den Bereich Experimentelle Physik vertreten. Eva Grebel forscht am Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg (ZAH) und ist Direktorin des Astronomischen Rechen-Instituts. (12.7.2016)

Unter Leitung von Prof. Dr. Rainer Spurzem vom Astronomsichen Rechen-Institut (ARI) werden Wissenschaftler der Universität Heidelberg sowie der Akademie der Wissenschaften der Ukraine und der Russische Akademie der Wissenschaften mit Hilfe von Computersimulationen untersuchen, welche Faktoren den Prozess der Akkretion von Materie durch Schwarze Löcher beeinflussen und auf welche Weise das geschieht. Das Forschungsprojekt wird von der VolkswagenStiftung mit rund 215.000 Euro gefördert. (13.05.2016)

Heidelberg researchers played a key role in design and construction of this instrument. Observation at the world’s largest single telescope record astronomical images and spectra in the infrared with outstanding quality. (April 26, 2016)

The documentation by Klaus Jäger (MPIA) and Stefan Jordan (ARI/ZAH) explains the main goals of the Gaia mission and contains interviews and statements from several scientists directly involved in the analysis of the Gaia data. (April 25, 2016)

An international team of astronomers coordinated by Mia Lundkvist from the Landessternwarte Königstuhl (LSW) has shown that the atmospheres of super-Earths are blown away by radiation from their host stars. (April 15, 2016)

Highly Cited Researchers 2016 represents the world’s most cited scientific minds. In the category "Space Science", Prof. Volker Springel (HITS and ZAH/ARI) earned this distinction and was the second time after 2014 ranked among the top 1% most cited for their subject field. (April 1, 2016)

Highly Cited Researchers 2016 represents the world’s most cited scientific minds. In the category "Space Science", Prof. Volker Springel (HITS and ZAH/ARI) earned this distinction and was the second time after 2014 ranked among the top 1% most cited for their subject field. (April 1, 2016)

Die Kalendergrundlagen für das Jahr 2018 sind jetzt erschienen. Sie sind ausschließlich über "Der Kleine Buch Verlag" zu beziehen. (30.03.2016)

The Gaia group at ARI offers a two-day Workshop on April 4-5, 2016 to efficiently access data of the upcoming first Gaia data release 1 in late summer. (March 22, 2016)

CARMENES is an outstanding novel astronomical instrument which has been designed to look for Earth-like planets. It was buildt by an international consortium lead by the Landessternwarte. The instrument recently has successfully passed first “on-sky” tests and is almost ready for discoveries. (December 17, 2015).

Der langjährige Direktor der Heidelberger Landessternwarte, Prof. Dr. Immo Appenzeller, wird mit der Karl-Schwarzschild-Medaille der Astronomischen Gesellschaft (AG) ausgezeichnet. Es ist eine der ho?chsten Auszeichnungen im Bereich astrophysikalischer Forschung in Deutschland. Die feierliche Verleihung findet am 15. September 2015 in Kiel im Rahmen der Herbsttagung der AG statt. (09.09.2015)

Dr. Diederik Kruijssen has taken up his new position as the Gliese Fellow 2015 at the Astronomisches Rechen-Institut (ARI) of the ZAH. (Sept. 1, 2015)

Dr. Genevieve Parmentier was appointed Private Lecturer (Priv. Doz.) by the Habilitation Conference of the Department of Physics and Astronomy of Heidelberg University. (2015/07/15)

Klaus Jäger and Stefan Jordan have produced a 15 minute DPAC outreach video which explains the Gaia mission and its goals. (06.06.2015)

An international team, including researchers from the Centre for Astronomy of Heidelberg University (ZAH), has discovered three “cosmic Methusalems” from the earliest years of the universe. These unusual stars are about 13 billion years old. Experts assign them to the first generation of stars after the “dark ages”. (28.05.2015)

Astronomical research on asteroids is also benefiting from the Gaia mission of the European Space Agency (ESA). Even though the astrometry satellite’s main purpose is to precisely measure nearly one billion stars in the Milky Way, it has already tracked down a multitude of minor planets in our solar system. (20.05.2015)

Völlig überraschend ist Dr. h.c. Dr.-Ing. E.h. Klaus Tschira am vergangenen Dienstag, 31. März 2015, gestorben. Das Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg (ZAH) hat Klaus Tschira sehr viel zu verdanken und bedauert seinen Tod zutiefst. (01.04.2015)

Prof. Dr. Röpke leitet die neue Forschungsgruppe „Physics of Stellar Objects“ am Heidelberger Institut für Theoretische Studien (HITS) und wurde zum 1. März 2015 als Professor für Theoretische Astrophysik am Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg (ZAH) ernannt. (01.03.2015)

Fabian Klein is PhD student with Prof. Rainer Spurzem and Prof. Andreas Just. The main focus of his work are numerical simulations and code development for stars and gas in the vicinity of black holes. (15.02.2015)

Two groups of astronomers from Heidelberg have independently discovered an extremely rare type of planet. Known as Kepler-432b, the celestial body is a close-in massive planet whose days are numbered: its host star will soon have the planet for dinner! (12.02.2015)

Für ihre Forschungen auf dem Gebiet der Galaxienentwicklung ist Prof. Dr. Eva Grebel mit dem Wissenschaftspreis der Hector Stiftung ausgezeichnet worden. Dr. h.c. Hans-Werner Hector, Gründer der nach ihm benannten Stiftung, würdigte die Heidelberger Astronomin als „Pionierin ihres Faches“. Die Preisverleihung fand am 30. Januar 2015 in Heidelberg statt. (3.02.2015)

Die Kalendergrundlagen für das Jahr 2017 sind jetzt erschienen. Sie sind ausschließlich über "Der Kleine Buch Verlag" zu beziehen. (12.01.2015)

Die Kalendergrundlagen für das Jahr 2017 sind jetzt erschienen. Sie sind ausschließlich über den G. Braun Buchverlag zu beziehen. (Jan. 12, 2015)

Prof. Dr. Eva Grebel wurde im September 2014 in Taiwan mit dem "NCU-Delta Young Astronomer Lectureship Award" ausgezeichnet. Sie wurde für ihre Arbeiten zur Galaxienentwicklung und insbesondere der Erforschung der Rolle von Zwerggalaxien ausgezeichnet. (01.12.2014)

Die Universität Heidelberg hat Dr. Stefan Jordan am 21. Nov. 2014 zum außerplanmäßigen Professor (Apl. Prof.) auf Vorschlag der Fakultät für Physik und Astronomie ernannt. (21.11.2014)

Mit dem Ernst-Patzer-Preis werden jährlich die besten drei referierten Veröffentlichungen eines Nachwuchswissenschaftlers bzw. einer Nachwuchswissenschaftlerin am MPIA und ZAH ausgezeichnet. Zwei der drei Preise gingen in diesem Jahr an Doktoranden in der Emmy-Noether Forschungsgruppe von Dr. Andreas Koch an der Landessternwarte Königstuhl. (28.11.2014)

The Collaborative Research Centre (CRC 881) on “The Milky Way System” will continue its successful work at Heidelberg University for another four years. DFG grants more than nine million euros. (21.11.2014)

Herausragende junge Forscherinnen und Forscher aus Lateinamerika und Europa kommen vom 17. bis 28. November 2014 in Santiago de Chile zur dritten „Santander International Summer School“ der Universität Heidelberg zusammen. Im Mittelpunkt stehen neuartige Methoden und Technologien, mit denen sich die Leistungsfähigkeit moderner Teleskope erheblich verbessern lässt. (17.11.2014)

Auf der wissenschaftlichen Jahrestagung der Astronomischen Gesellschaft (AG) vom 22. bis 26.9.2014 in Bamberg wählte die Mitgliederversammlung Prof. Dr. Joachim Wambsganß zu ihrem neuen Vizepräsidenten. (23.09.2014)

Der Bruno-H.-Bürgel Preis für hervorragende populäre Darstellungen neuerer Ergebnisse auf dem Gebiet der Astronomie in deutscher Sprache wurde im Rahmen der diesjährigen Jahrestagung der Astronomischen Gesellschaft in Bamberg an Dr. Ulrich Bastian übergeben. (23.09.2014)

Die hochkomplexe Software des Heidelberger Gaia-Teams hat es ermöglicht, die Position der ersten von Gaia entdeckten Supernovaexplosion am Himmel zu bestimmen. (19.09.2014)

Die Heidelberger Astrophysikerin Prof. Dr. Eva Grebel wurde von der Harvard University in Cambridge/Massachusetts für ihre herausragenden wissenschaftlichen Leistungen ausgezeichnet. Sie wurde eingeladen, die diesjährige "Sackler-Lecture" am Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) zu halten. (18.09.2014)

Prof. Dr. Joachim Wambsganß wird mit dem Werner und Inge Grüter-Preis für Wissenschaftsvermittlung 2014 ausgezeichnet. Er erhält den Preis für seine vielfältigen populärwissenschaftlichen Aktivitäten, insbesondere für sein Multimedia-Projekt „Universum für alle“. (08.09.2014)

Dr. Jan-Pieter Paardekooper is a new member of the ERC-based research group of Prof. Dr. Ralf Klessen. He will study the effect of photo-ionisation feedback on the formation of the first stars and galaxies. (01.09.2014)

Das Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg (ZAH) übergab im Rahmen seines Sommerfestes offiziell die Ernennungsurkunde des Kleinplaneten (52292) Kamdzhalov an den scheidenden Heidelberger Generalmusikdirektor Yordan Kamdzhalov. (23.07.2014)

Carolin Wittmann is PhD student with Prof. Grebel and Priv.-Doz. Dr. Lisker. The main focus of her work are low-mass galaxies and signs of environmental influence in nearby galaxy clusters. (22.07.2014)

Ein internationales Teams, unter ihnen Dr. David Martínez-Delgado vom ZAH/ARI, hat die spektakulären Sternenwolken um NGC 4651 als Reste einer kleineren Galaxie identifiziert. Diese Beobachtung gilt als weiterer Beweis für die Vorstellung, dass Galaxien durch das "Verschlucken" kleiner Artgenossen wachsen. (21.07.2014)

Ein führender Experte für die Erforschung der Sternentstehung, Prof. Dr. Mordecai-Mark Mac Low vom American Museum of Natural History (USA), wird mit einem Forschungspreis der Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung ausgezeichnet. Er wird damit Gast am Institut für Theoretische Astrophysik sein und dort mit Prof. Dr. Ralf Klessen zusammenarbeiten. (10.07.2014)

Highly Cited Researchers 2014 represents the world’s most cited scientific minds. In the category "Space Science", Prof. Eva Grebel (ZAH/ARI) and Prof. Volker Springel (HITS and ZAH/ARI) earned this distinction and were ranked among the top 1% most cited for their subject field. (June 26, 2014)

The collaborative research center SFB/Transregio 33 "The Dark Universe" of the Universities of Heidelberg, Bonn and Munich will receive another four years of funding by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). The SFB/TR 33 investigates Dark Energy and Dark Matter. (May 16, 2014)

Dr. Davide Gandolfi was last year selected to be the Gliese-Fellow 2013 at ZAH. He has now arrived in Heidelberg to take up his fellowship at the Landessternwarte Königstuhl (LSW). (Mar. 3, 2014)

Die Kalendergrundlagen für das Jahr 2016 sind jetzt erschienen. Sie sind ausschließlich über den G. Braun Buchverlag zu beziehen. (Feb. 5, 2014)

The Gaia space observatory was successfully lanched on Dec. 19, 2013. Experts from the Astronomisches Rechen-Institut at ZAH have developed highly complex control software for this extraordinary precision astrometry satellite. (Dec. 20, 2013)

Prof. Dr. Ralf S. Klessen is receiving a highly endowed grant from the European Research Council (ERC) for pioneering researchers in Europe. He will use this reward of about 2.5 million euros during the next five years to explore the physical processes that govern the formation of the first stars in our universe. (Nov. 28, 2013)

Die Astronomische Gesellschaft (AG) zeichnet jährlich einen jungen Astronomen oder junge Astronomin für die beste Doktorarbeit des vergangenen Jahres auf dem Gebiet der Astronomie aus. Der Promotionspreis 2013 Dr. Matthias Frank am 24. September im Rahmen der AG in Tübingen übergeben. (Sep. 24, 2013)

Die Astronomische Gesellschaft hat Dr. Frank Bigiel vom ZAH für seine herausragenden Forschungen zur Entwicklung von Galaxien mit dem Ludwig-Biermann-Förderpreis ausgezeichnet. Die Auszeichnung ermöglicht den Preisträgern einen Forschungsaufent­halt an einem Institut eigener Wahl. (Sep. 24, 2013)

Outstanding young researchers from Latin America and Europe will gather in Santiago de Chile from 17 to 28 November 2014 for the third “Santander International Summer School” of Heidelberg University.

Eine besondere wissenschaftliche Veröffentlichung unter Beteiligung von Wissenschaftlern des Astronomischen Rechen-Instituts am Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg (ZAH) hat die magische Grenze von 1000 Zitaten überschritten und steht derzeit auf Platz 354 unter einer Million weltweit erfasster astronomischer Forschungspublikationen. Sie beschreibt den „Tycho-2 Katalog der 2.5 Millionen hellsten Sterne“. Der Katalog ist das Ergebnis des Satelliten-Projekts "HIPPARCOS" der euroäischen Raumfahragentur ESA. Von 1989 bis 1993 hatte dieser Satellit für soviel Sterne wie möglich deren Position und Bewegung an der Himmelssphäre mit möglichst großer Genauigkeit gemessen.

Prof. Dr. Eva Grebel ist in den Senat der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) gewählt worden. Prof. Grebel wird diesem wissenschaftspolitischen Gremium für eine Amtszeit von zunächst drei Jahren angehören und den Bereich Experimentelle Physik vertreten. Eva Grebel forscht am Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg (ZAH) und ist Direktorin des Astronomischen Rechen-Instituts.

This major international event entitled “Protostars & Planets” last took place on Hawaii in 2005. After years of planning it will now be organised jointly by the Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg (ZAH) and the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA).

Ein altes Rätsel der Entstehung von Kometen haben Astrophysiker der Universität Heidelberg mithilfe von Beobachtungen am Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile gelöst. Mit Daten dieses neuen Teleskops der Europäischen Südsternwarte, eines der leistungsfähigsten Teleskope der Welt, konnte die Existenz sogenannter Staubfallen als mögliche Geburtsstätte von Kometen bewiesen werden. Zugleich wurden damit Theorien von Heidelberger Wissenschaftlern bestätigt. Die Ergebnisse wurden jetzt in der Fachzeitschrift „Science“ veröffentlicht.

Was bleibt nach dem Tod? Wie prägt unsere Vorstellung vom Jenseits unser Verhalten im Diesseits? Welche Konzepte des Jenseits entwickeln unterschiedliche Kulturen? Was befindet sich in den Weiten des Kosmos? Mit den großen Fragen nach dem Woher und dem Wohin befasst sich die neue Ausgabe „Himmel & Hölle“ des Forschungsmagazins „Ruperto Carola“. "Vom Prinzip der höheren Ordnung. Über Grenzen hinaus denken" ist darin ein Leitthema, das zwischen der Heidelberger Astronomin Prof. Eva Grebel und dem Theologen Prof. Klaus Tanner diskutiert wird. Prof. Matthias Bartelmann erörtert in einem Übersichtsartikel den aktuellen Stand des Wissens zur Natur der Dunklen Materie.

Collaborating within the „Virtual Observatory“ is the major topic of a conference taking place at Heidelberg University from May 12 to May 17, 2013. The Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg (ZAH) host 150 experts and sofware engineers from 20 countries in the framework of the International Virtual Observatory Alliance (IVOA). This scientific organization aims at providing professional scientific data to the public, which were obtained with leading telescope facilities.

The 2013 MERAC Prize of the European Astronomical Society (EAS) for the Best Early Career Researcher in the field of observational astrophysics was awarded to Dr. Elisabetta Caffau for the discovery of a chemically very primitive, old low-mass star in our Galaxy. Three MERAC Prizes are awarded by the EAS every year in the fields of theoretical astrophysics, observational astrophysics and new technologies, instrumental or computational astrophysics. Dr. Caffau works in the Galactic Archaeology Group at the Landessternwarte Königstuhl (LSW) which is part of the Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg (ZAH). In 2010, she was awarded the first "Gliese Fellow Grant" established by the ZAH.

Die Kalendergrundlagen für das Jahr 2015 sind jetzt erschienen. Sie sind ausschließlich durch den G.Braun Buchverlag zu beziehen.

Die Universität Heidelberg hat Dr. Björn Malte Schäfer am 28. Januar 2013 zum Professor für fundamentale Physik ernannt. Am ZAH forscht Prof. Schafer uber kosmologische Strukturbildung, statistische Methoden, Anisotropien im kosmischen Mikrowellenhintergrund, den kosmischen Gravitationslinseneffekt und Drehimpulsmodelle für Galaxien.