Four observatories atop a hill project multiple laser beams into a deep blue, star-filled night sky, suggesting astronomical observation.

Paranal: Night Sky Secured – A Triumph for the Astronomers’ Protest

Protest by Nobel Laureate Professor Reinhard Genzel and the Astronomy Community proves successful: Industry project canceled.
A molecular model with colored atoms is set against a dramatic orange and red nebula, suggesting a scientific exploration theme.

New insights into the origins of the chemistry of life

Astrophysicists Discover Largest Sulfur-Containing Molecular Compound in Space
Multiple observatory telescopes with laser beams directed at the night sky under clear conditions, highlighting modern astronomical research equipment.

Dawn of a New Era of Interferometry with GRAVITY+

Last week, four lasers were fired into the sky above ESO’s Paranal Observatory in Chile, each creating an artificial star to help astronomers measure and correct atmospheric blur. This impressive launch, one from each 8-meter telescope, marks a key milestone of the GRAVITY+ project, led by MPE, significantly enhancing the VLTI’s ability to observe fainter objects and cover more of the southern sky.
Euclid's morphological classification shows various galaxy types, including ellipticals, lenticulars, spirals, barred spirals, and irregular dwarfs.

Euclid Sheds Light on How Galaxies Form and Transform

ESA’s space telescope captures the astonishing diversity of galaxies – and MPE scientists trace how mergers shape their cores
Star field with multicolored spectral graphs illustrating intensity and wavelength data, highlighting cosmic elements.

4MOST Begins its Journey of Cosmic Discovery

First light marks the start of an ambitious mission to decode the physical and chemical fingerprints of thousands of celestial objects at once.
Diffuse, grey circle with red and blue colours in the middle.

A look deep into the early universe: First infrared interferometry of a quasar at redshift 4

New GRAVITY+ and ERIS observations uncover surprising black hole properties and powerful gas outflows in the early cosmos.
A multitude of spiral galaxies in a grid pattern, each with unique structures and shapes, against a star-filled background.

Euclid opens a treasure trove of data: MPE plays a crucial role in exploring the dark universe

The first Euclid data published by ESA (Q1) provide impressive insights into the depths of the universe. They include high-resolution images of 26 million galaxies, reveal the finest structures and make it possible for the first time to precisely determine the shape and distance of more than 380,000 galaxies. This data is a milestone and yet only marks the beginning of research into dark matter and dark energy. And the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) plays a central role in all of this.

People and Project News

Upcoming events

IMPRS Colloquium

Feb 9, 2026 02:00 PM - 04:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
MPP, Room: A.1.01 - Alps Süd (MPP)

"Astronomical Instrumentation Development at Canada’s NRC Herzberg"

Feb 10, 2026 12:00 PM - 12:45 PM (Local Time Germany)
ESO, Room: Auditorium Telescopium (ESO HQE, Garching)

"Looking for the Onset of the RSG Mass Loss: VLTI Imaging of Antares (Alpha Sco)"

Feb 10, 2026 03:00 PM - 04:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
ESO Garching, Room: ESO room Centaurus (C.2.01)

"Do We Need AI in Science?"

Feb 11, 2026 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM (Local Time Germany)
ESO Garching, Room: Library (ESO HQ, Garching)

"The First Chapters of Galaxy Build-up: From the JWST Era to the Future"

Feb 11, 2026 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
University Observatory Munich (USM), Scheinerstrasse 1, Munich, Room: Hörsaal der Universitäts-Sternwarte

"A Dynamical Picture of Nearby Galaxies and Their Supermassive Black Holes"

Event Was Rescheduled
Feb 12, 2026 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
MPE, Room: Old Seminar Room X2/209

"Measuring the Universe: How Earth Lost Its Place at the Centre"

Feb 12, 2026 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
ESO Garching, Room: Auditorium Eridanus (ESO HQE, Garching)
Reinhard Genzel receives the Nobel Prize for Physics 2020
The Max Planck Director is honored for his observations of the black hole in the Galactic Center
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