IAU PhD Award for Maximilian Häberle

Maximilian Häberle has been awarded the PhD Prize in the field of “Fundamental Astronomy” by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Like the MPG recently, the IAU recognizes his doctoral thesis on the confirmation of the existence of an intermediate-mass black hole in the Omega Centauri star cluster.

The IAU presents the Doctoral Prize annually to recognize the most remarkable and influential work by early-career researchers in their respective fields.  In Category A (Fundamental Astronomy), this year’s recipient is Maximilian Häberle, who until recently worked at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) in the Lise Meitner “Galactic Nuclei” group led by Nadine Neumayer and completed his doctoral thesis, titled “A New Kinematic View of the Globular Cluster Omega Centauri,” at the University of Heidelberg.

In his work, Maximilian Häberle examined high-resolution Hubble images of the central region of Omega Centauri and, through his detailed analysis of the stars’ kinematics, found clear evidence for a central black hole of intermediate mass—more than 8,200 solar masses—at the center of Omega Centauri. The discovery represents the long-sought missing link between “small” stellar black holes and the supermassive black holes at the centers of large galaxies.

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) is the world’s largest professional organization in Astronomy. Founded in 1919, the IAU not only conducts research but also promotes scientific communication, advancement, and education in this field worldwide. It is also an internationally recognized authority for the naming of celestial objects. Heidelberg is connected to the IAU not only through its cutting-edge astronomical research but also because the House of Astronomy (Haus der Astronomie, HdA) on the MPIA campus houses the main office of the IAU Office of Astronomy for Education (OAE).

Maximilian Häberle will be invited to present his work during the 33rd IAU General Assembly in Italy in August 2027.

Further details, including images and video footage of his work, can be found in this press release and in this announcement regarding the awarding of the Otto Hahn Medal by the MPG
The IAU press release can be found here.

KJ/MH/NN