Archive | Research Highlights 2020

2020/12/17

© ESA/S. Corvaja

One-year launch anniversary of CHEOPS

In its first year in orbit, the CHEOPS space telescope has already revealed details of one of the most extreme exoplanets and showed its maneuverability by evading space debris. CHEOPS is a joint mission by the European Space Agency (ESA) and Switzerland, under the aegis of the University of Bern in collaboration with the University of Geneva.

2020/12/16

© University of Bern, Illustration: Thibaut Roger

A pair of lonely planet-like objects born like stars

An international research team led by the University of Bern has discovered an exotic binary system composed of two young planet-like objects, orbiting around each other from a very large distance. Although these objects look like giant exoplanets, they formed in the same way as stars, proving that the mechanisms driving star formation can produce rogue worlds in unusual systems deprived of a Sun.

2020/10/15

© Institute of Astronomy, UNAM / E. Cadena

Two planets around a red dwarf

The “SAINT-EX” Observatory, led by scientists from the National Centre of Competence in Research NCCR PlanetS of the University of Bern and the University of Geneva, has detected two exoplanets orbiting the star TOI-1266. The Mexico-based telescope thus demonstrates its high precision and takes an important step in the quest of finding potentially habitable worlds.

2020/10/14

© ESA/ATG medialab

Venus flyby on the way to Mercury

The space probe BepiColombo, which is on its way to Mercury, will fly past Venus on October 15, 2020 – one of the deceleration maneuvers to bring the probe into orbit in front of Mercury. BepiColombo has instruments on board which were designed and built at the Physics Institute of the University of Bern. Data is now being collected on Venus on the way to Mercury using other instruments that the Bern researchers are involved in.

2020/10/08

© NASA, ESA, G. Bacon (STSci)

Vaporised metal in the air of an exoplanet

An international team of researchers led by the National Centre of Competence in Research PlanetS of the University of Bern and the University of Geneva studied the atmosphere of the ultra-hot exoplanet WASP-121b. In it, they found a number of gaseous metals. The results are a next step in the search for potentially habitable worlds.

2020/09/28

© ESA/ATG medialab

First study with CHEOPS data describes one of the most extreme planets in the universe

CHEOPS keeps its promise: Observations with the space telescope reveal details of the exoplanet WASP-189b – one of the most extreme planets known. CHEOPS is a joint mission by the European Space Agency (ESA) and Switzerland, under the aegis of the University of Bern in collaboration with the University of Geneva.

2020/09/21

© ESA/ATG medialab

Comet Chury's ultraviolet aurora

On Earth, auroras, also called northern lights, have always fascinated people. An international consortium involving the University of Bern has now discovered such auroras in the ultraviolet wavelength range at comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, Chury for short. This phenomenon was detected thanks to the analysis of data from the European Space Agency ESA's Rosetta mission.

2020/08/28

© University of Bern, AIUB

Space debris observed for the first time during the day

Researchers at the University of Bern are the first in the world to succeed in determining the distance to a space debris object using a geodetic laser in daylight. The distance was determined on June 24, 2020 at the Swiss Optical Ground Station and Geodynamics Observatory Zimmerwald. The number of measurements can be multiplied thanks to the new possibility of observing space debris during the day. As a result, possible collisions with satellites can be detected at an early stage and evasive maneuvers can be initiated.

2020/08/19

© University of Bern, Image: Vera Knöpfel

The most sensitive instrument in the search for life in space comes from Bern

Researchers at the University of Bern have developed the highly sensitive ORIGIN instrument, which can provide proof of the smallest amounts of traces of life, for future space missions. Space agencies such as NASA have already expressed interest in testing ORIGIN for future missions. The instrument may be used on missions to the ice moons of Europa (Jupiter) and Enceladus (Saturn), for example.

2020/07/01

© University of Warwick/Mark Garlick

First exposed planetary core discovered

Researchers led by the University of Warwick have discovered the first exposed core of an exoplanet, which provides an unprecedented glimpse inside the interior of a planet. Christoph Mordasini from the University of Bern is leading the theoretical interpretation of this discovery.

2020/06/03

© NASA, Univ. Arizona/JAXA, Univ. Tokyo

Origin of two "cosmic diamonds" explained

Bennu and Ryugu are two near-Earth asteroids with a diamond-like shape, the origin of which has long been a mystery. Now, simulations of collisions, in which Martin Jutzi from the University of Bern was involved, show how this unusual shape came about. The results could also help to better understand the processes involved in the formation of the Earth.

2020/05/05

© NASA/B. Ingalls

Evidence of active tectonic system on the Moon

It is believed that the Moon has been dead for a long time. However, researchers have now discovered mountain ridges scattered with freshly exposed boulders. According to the researchers, these ridges could be evidence of seismic activity on the Moon that began 4.3 billion years ago and may still be ongoing today. Adomas Valantinas, a doctoral student at the University of Bern, led the research during his stay as a visiting scientist at Brown University.

2020/04/16

© ESA/ATG medialab

CHEOPS space telescope ready for scientific operation

CHEOPS has reached its next milestone: Following extensive tests in Earth's orbit, some of which the mission team was forced to carry out from home due to the coronavirus crisis, the space telescope has been declared ready for science. CHEOPS stands for “CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite”, and has the purpose of investigating known exoplanets to determine, among other things, whether they have conditions that are hospitable to life.

2020/03/12

© ESA/Rosetta/NAVCAM

Puzzle about nitrogen solved thanks to cometary analogues

One of the basic building blocks of life is nitrogen. An international consortium was able to detect ammonium salt containing nitrogen on the cometary surface of Chury thanks to a method using analogues for comet material. The method on which the study on the detection of ammonium salt is based was developed at the University of Bern.

2020/02/07

© ESA/Airbus/CHEOPS Mission Consortium

CHEOPS space telescope takes its first pictures

Next milestone in the commissioning of CHEOPS: After the successful opening of the space telescope cover on January 29, 2020, CHEOPS has now taken its first images of the sky. CHEOPS is a joint mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) and Switzerland, led by the University of Bern, in collaboration with the University of Geneva.

2020/01/29

© ESA/ATG medialab

Cover of CHEOPS Space Telescope Open

Decisive moment for the CHEOPS space telescope: The cover was opened as intended on Wednesday, January 29, 2020 at 7:38 am. CHEOPS is now being tested for precision and the first images are being produced. CHEOPS is a joint mission of ESA and Switzerland, led by the University of Bern, in collaboration with the University of Geneva.

2020/01/24

© ESA/ATG medialab

Opening of the CHEOPS cover delayed by a few days

The cover of the CHEOPS space telescope was scheduled to be opened on Monday, January 27, 2020. The date is being pushed back by a few days because several tests are being repeated.

2020/01/20

© ESA/Rosetta/NAVCAM

The salt of the comet

Under the leadership of astrophysicist Kathrin Altwegg, Bernese researchers have found an explanation for why very little nitrogen could previously be accounted for in the nebulous covering of comets: the building block for life predominantly occurs in the form of ammonium salts, the occurrence of which could not previously be measured. The salts may be a further indication that comet impacts may have made life on Earth possible in the first place.

2020/01/15

© ALMA/ESO/ESA

Interstellar journey of life's building block phosphorus unveiled

Phosphorus, present in our DNA and cell membranes, is an essential element for life. But how it became available on the early Earth when life appeared here about 4 billion years ago is something of a mystery. For the first time, astronomers – among them researchers from the University of Bern – have now been able to show that molecules with phosphorus are formed in star-forming regions and probably came to Earth with comets.