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LSWs optical systems design for CUBES passed final review

The Cassegrain U-Band Efficient Spectrograph (CUBES), a future instrument for ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), has successfully passed its final design review. LSW is responsible for the design and development of its optical system. (2025/08/08)

New ZAH Director: Ralf Klessen

Since July 1, Prof. Dr. Ralf Klessen (ZAH/ITA) is managing director of ZAH. He succeeds Prof. Dr. Joachim Wambsganss. As deputy director the ZAH board elected Prof. Dr. Dominika Wylezalek (ZAH/ARI). (2025/07/01)

New ERC Research Group Leader at ZAH: Max Grönke

Since July 1, 2025, Dr. Max Grönke started as Research Group Leader at ZAH. With his ERC on "Resolving the Multiscale, Multiphase Universe” he plans to connect small-scale plasma physics with the large-scale galaxy ecosystems. (2025/07/01)

Rubin First Look Watch Party in Heidelberg

First breathtaking images from the Rubin Observatory were presented to the public at the House of Astronomy as part of a worldwide First Look Watch Party initative. ZAH/ARI and MPIA are participating in the project (2025/06/23).

Michela Mapelli receives ERC Advanced Grant

The European Research Council (ERC) awarded Prof. Dr. Michela Mapelli (ZAH/ITA) an Advanced Grant of €2.5 million to study the formation of intermediate-mass black holes with 100 to 10.000 times the mass of our Sun. (2025/06/17)

Light Pollution: A Threat to Astronomy in the Atacama Desert

Interview with Prof. Dr. Dominika Wylezalek (ZAH/ARI) on how a large-scale industrial project is threatening scientific research with telescopes operated by the European Southern Observatory. (2025/05/27)

More news and research highlights ►­►­►­►­

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ASTROPHYSICS CURRICULUM

Winter Term 25/26 ►►►►

Astro & Physics Talks

HePhySTO – HEidelberg PHYsics Seminar Talks Organizer ►►►►

Next Astro colloquia
Sep 19
11:00		TBA
Laura Kreidberg (MPIA)
Königstuhl Kolloquium
Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Level 3 Lecture Hall (301)
Sep 26
11:00		TBD
Heidi Korhonen (MPIA)
Königstuhl Kolloquium
Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Level 3 Lecture Hall (301)
Oct 10
11:00		TBD
Andrew Winter (MPIA)
Königstuhl Kolloquium
Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Level 3 Lecture Hall (301)

more colloquia ...

Recent ZAH publications
9/2025
Thilker, David A.; Lee, Janice C. et al. (inc. Klessen, Ralf S.)
PHANGS-HST Catalogs for ∼100,000 Star Clusters and Compact Associations in 38 Galaxies. II. Physical Properties from Decision-tree-based Spectral Energy Distribution Fitting of NUV-U-B-V-I Photometry with Categorical Priors Set by Hα Emission, Cluster Morphology, and Other Auxiliary Information
ApJS 280, 1(2025)

8/2025
Adamo, Angela; Atek, Hakim et al. (inc. Wylezalek, Dominika)
The first billion years according to JWST
NatAs 9, 1134(2025)

9/2025
Polanski, Alex S.; Crossfield, Ian J. M. et al. (inc. Stürmer, Julian)
An Aligned Sub-Neptune Revealed with MAROON-X and a Tendency Toward Alignment for Small Planets
AJ 170, 182(2025)

more publications ...