Latest optics for the PEPSI spectrograph at the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT).

Astronomers find a new type of variable star in a double star system.

The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-III) today announced the most accurate measurements yet of the distances to galaxies in the faraway universe, giving an unprecedented look at the time when the universe first began to accelerate. From different perspectives six publications, which have been published online now, address the question of “Dark Energy“, the unknown force that drives our Universe apart.

Astronomers have detected a mysterious ring of carbon monoxide gas around the young star V1052 Cen, which is about 700 light years away in the southern constellation Centaurus. The ring is part of the star’s planet-forming disk, and it’s as far from V1052 Cen as Earth is from the sun. Discovered with the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope, its edges are uniquely crisp.

In the current issue of "Nature Communications" from Dec 06, 2011 physical chemists at University Potsdam and astrophysicists at the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) in collaboration with colleagues from Sydney / Australia describe their latest results obtained within the ASPIC consortium (Astrophotonics and Instrumentation Consortium): a complex multi-notch optical filter that allows for observations of faint stars and galaxies by suppression of bright infrared night sky.

On 30 November 2011 the light installation “eL” lighted up for the first time at the Art Basel Miami Beach. The 2.7 meter high chandelier was developed and realised by a cooperation of Astrophysicist Noam Libeskind, his father, American architect Daniel Libeskind and Zumtobel, an international supplier of integral lighting solutions.

Potsdam has announced the AIP as filming location of the month December during the Potsdam Year of the Film 2011. In 1930, parts of the movie "Stürme über dem Montblanc" (Stormy Montblanc) were filmed at AIP.

Mary Williams, a scientist at AIP, has been awarded the science and engineering Brandenburg Young Scientist Prize for her discovery and research of a new stream of stars in our galaxy, the Milky Way called the “Aquarius Stream”. The post-doctoral prize comes with a cash award of 20,000 euro.

Scientists in Potsdam are preparing for the start of ESA’s “Solar Orbiter” mission.

Scientists from the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) have discovered two new brown dwarfs at estimated distances of only 15 and 18 light years from the Sun.

6 - 8 July 2011, Workshop at AIP

40 young researches visited summer school at AIP.

The first scientific article about sunspots was published 400 years ago on 23 June 1611. Scientists of the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) and the University Oulu in Finland are now reconstructing tens of thousands of sunspots: the solar activity over four centuries. Looking back on history, they also want to understand better the future of the activity of the Sun.

Astrophysicists find imprints of fast rotating massive stars in the bulge of our galaxy.

Today, the Astrophysical Institute Potsdam officially announced its new name during a ceremonial act with invited guests and staff.

innoFSPEC Potsdam – centre of innovation competence innoFSPEC receives "Location 2011 in the Country of Ideas" award. The ceremonial act, which is coupled to a public event, took place at AIP during the "Girls’ Day 2011".

On Monday April 11, 2011, the Astrophysical Institute Potsdam honors its long-time colleague Horst Künzel with a festive colloquium on the occasion of his 90th birthday.

Tidal effects change the concept of the habitable zone.