Archive | Portraits 2020

2020/11/24

© Denis Bajram/Pexels

What exoplanets have to do with the coronavirus

Astrophysicist Kevin Heng and epidemiologist Christian Althaus have just published a joint study. In an interview with "uniaktuell", the two researchers explain what the spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19 has to do with exoplanetary chemistry and what they hope to gain from INPUT, a newly founded interfaculty platform.

2020/11/05

© ESA/NASA

CHEOPS had to avoid space debris

Space debris increasingly threatens rockets, the international space station and satellites. At the beginning of October, the CHEOPS space telescope had to make an evasive manoeuvre due to a piece of Chinese space debris.

2020/08/18

© University of Bern/UniAKTUELL

A duo in search of life in space

Andreas Riedo and Niels Ligterink are searching for life in space. A portrait of two space explorers who are already eagerly awaiting how mankind will react to this, should their instrument ORIGIN find extraterrestrial life one day.

2020/08/18

© Jürg Meister

On the passing of Jürg Meister

Just over a year ago, Jürg Meister held part of the solar wind foil that had flown to the moon aboard Apollo 11 in his hands once again – on the occasion of a film portrait marking the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. As a doctoral student at the University of Bern, he played a key role in the world-famous solar wind experiment. The physicist passed away on August 7, 2020, at the age of 81.

2020/07/06

© University of Bern, Image: Manu Friederich

Kathrin Altwegg: Space Researcher with Charisma

As project manager of the ROSINA mass spectrometer, which measured the comet “Chury” on board ESA's Rosetta space probe, she suddenly found herself in the spotlight: Kathrin Altwegg looks back on an impressive career as a space researcher that was never planned.

2020/06/30

© University of Bern/UniAKTUELL

The planetary scientist has one great wish

Christoph Mordasini deals with the formation and evolution of planets inside and outside our solar system. In an interview he explains why the University of Bern has been at the forefront of space research since an experiment on the moon. And he reveals the question to which he would very much like to have an answer.

2020/06/19

© Patricio Becerra

Mars research elite visits the end of the world

Patricio Becerra is a planetary scientist working as a post-doc at the University of Bern in Professor Nicolas Thomas' Planetary Imaging Group (PIG). In January, he co-organized an international conference on Mars ice research in Ushuaia, Argentina. He brought back spectacular pictures from the field trips and explained to "uniaktuell" why the conference took place at the "end of the world".

2020/03/27

© University of Bern/UniAKTUELL

Questioning theory can be worth it

Where few thought to look, the NCCR PlanetS co-funded telescope "SAINT-EX" is searching for new worlds. After a year of operation, the project has brought some exciting first results.

2020/02/18

© Karo Krämer

Reaching for the stars over a beer

Astronomy on tap – is that possible? Yes, on Tuesday, February 18, 2020, the science slam event “Astronomy on Tap” took place in Bern. In a relaxed atmosphere, the audience learned all about molecules in space and hidden buttons on the Apollo missions. Daniel Angerhausen is the man who brought the Science Slam from America to Bern. “uniaktuell” met him and found out why a visit to the ONO cultural venue is worthwhile.

2020/02/17

© University of Bern

On the passing of Johannes Geiss

The University of Bern mourns the loss of a pioneer in space research: Johannes Geiss, former professor of physics at the University of Bern, passed away last Thursday, January 30, 2020, at the age of 93. Under Geiss's leadership, the University of Bern developed its famous solar wind sail, which was used in the first moon landing in 1969 and established the international success of Bernese space research. Kathrin Altwegg looks back on his life with her obituary for the Swiss Physical Society.

2020/02/14

© Adrian Jäggi

"We provide data on the effects of environmental changes"

The Astronomical Institute of the University of Bern (AIUB) is at the forefront when it comes to determining the Earth's global gravitational field. In this interview, AIUB Director Adrian Jäggi explains what satellite missions have to do with this and why a Chinese delegation is interested in the Bern gravitational field models.

2020/01/08

© Alessandro della Bella

Big Day for the CHEOPS Space Telescope

Today, the space telescope was switched on for the first time. Willy Benz from the University of Bern is the principal investigator of the CHEOPS mission. In an interview with Radio SRF 1, he explains what happens next.