Open House Day 2026

DATE: October 3, 2026 | TIME: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. | LOCATION: Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Gießenbachstraße 1, 85748 Garching

On Saturday, October 3, 2026, the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) in Garching opened its doors to the public. About 5,000 visitors took the opportunity to experience the institute’s research up close at more than 20 stations—ranging from black holes, galaxies, and X-ray telescopes to electronics, precision engineering, and instrument development.

There was particularly strong interest in the interactive activities: Children built spectrometers and magnets featuring designs of their own choosing, watched the production of “Die Sendung mit der Maus” medals, made balls levitate, examined objects using X-ray technology, built their own molecules, or launched water rockets. The extensive children’s program as part of the Open House Day in collaboration with “Die Sendung mit der Maus” was very well received and was expressly praised by many families.

The lectures were also very well attended. Prof. Dr. Ralf Bender, Dr. Christian Endres, Prof. Dr. Werner Becker, and Prof. Dr. Frank Eisenhauer provided insights into research on the dark universe, star formation, the eROSITA X-ray telescope, and the development of modern telescopes and instruments.

A highlight was the closing lecture by Nobel laureate Prof. Dr. Reinhard Genzel on the topic “Do Black Holes Really Exist?” In the Rudolf Diesel Lecture Hall at TUM, approximately 800 visitors listened to his remarks on black hole research.

The MPE would like to thank all visitors, as well as the many participating scientists, technical staff, and volunteers, for an exceptionally lively day full of curiosity, enthusiasm, and meaningful encounters.