Rare Discovery of Two Protoplanets
 

Using the GRAVITY instrument on the ESO’s VLT Interferometer, astronomers have confirmed the existence of the protoplanet WISPIT 2c. This new discovery offers rare insights into planet formation and shows that planetary systems can form in parallel.

Conditions suitable for life on distant moons

Even in the darkness of space, life could be possible: A team of researchers from the ORIGINS Cluster has shown that moons of free-floating planets can keep their oceans liquid for billions of years.

Measuring the expansion of the universe with cosmic fireworks

Munich astronomers image and model extremely rare gravitationally lensed supernova

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.

New insights into the origins of the chemistry of life

Astrophysicists Discover Largest Sulfur-Containing Molecular Compound in Space

Dawn of a New Era of Interferometry with GRAVITY+

Beginning of November 2025, 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 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

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.