Videos for the general public

On this page you will find videos for the general public. They explain scientific topics, technical developments and provide exciting news from the MPIA.

An Introduction to MPIA

A video series on the research topics and working groups at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy more

Computer-generated view of the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) of the European Southern Observatory on a mountain summit in Chile’s Atacama Desert. The large, modern telescope with an open dome stands on a flat platform. In the background stretch the barren mountains under a clear sky, faintly lit by twilight. In the foreground, a winding road leads up to the observatory. Logos of several research institutes are visible in the upper left corner. At the bottom of the image, the text ‘Das Extremely Large Telescope (ELT)’ is displayed.

The Extremely Large Telescope (ELT)

Video September 02, 2025

The ELT (Extremely Large Telescope) has been under construction since 2014 on Cerro Armazones in the Atacama Desert in Chile. The first images are expected in 2029. The instruments (cameras, spectrographs) are being built by research institutes such… more

Atmospheres (and modelling) in the era of the James Webb Space Telescope

Paul Mollière explains how the James Webb Space Telescope is revolutionising the observation and modelling of exoplanet atmospheres. What new insights can we gain thanks to its advanced technology? more

When planets migrate

When planets migrate

Video March 25, 2024

There are too few exoplanets that are twice the size of the Earth. Remo Burn from the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy has discovered that this is because many planets do not stay where they were formed. Rocky planets that migrate inwards lose… more

Searching for clues in distant worlds and the atmospheres of exoplanets

James Webb Space Telescope: What can we learn about the atmospheres of exoplanets with the largest space telescope? How is the JWST revolutionising our knowledge of exoplanets? Eva-Maria Ahrer reports on research into the atmospheres of exoplanets… more

Upgrade of the VLT with Adaptive Optics - A Sharper View of the Stars

How can the performance of an earthbound telescope be improved? Silvia Scheithauer reports on the CIAO instrument, the adaptive optics for the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile. more

Euclid – the new space telescope

Euclid – the new space telescope

Video February 07, 2024

Euclid is a new ESA space telescope with the participation of a scientific consortium from fourteen European countries, the USA, Canada and Japan. Euclid was launched on 1 July 2023. Over the next 6 years, Euclid will record images and spectra of a… more

Planet formation under the harshest conditions

Good news for Earth-like planets and for life in the Universe: planets like our Earth, including those with water, could form even in the most inhospitable star-forming environments known, flooded by energetic UV light from massive stars. María… more

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