Observatoire de Paris - PSL - Centre de recherche en astronomie et astrophysique

When the MAJIS instrument, aboard the JUICE mission, crosses paths with the 3I/ATLAS interstellar spacecraft

Frederique Auffret — 2026-04-13T16:10:49Z

Explore the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS using the MAJIS instrument, to which the Laboratory of Instrumentation and Research in Astrophysics (LIRA) at the Paris Observatory – PSL is contributing, as part of the JUICE space mission en route to Jupiter.

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Mobile phone coverage: the town of Nançay now has 4G coverage

Frederique Auffret — 2026-04-07T15:23:34Z

The commune of Nançay (Cher) now has mobile phone coverage, thanks to a joint effort involving government departments, mobile network operators and the Paris Observatory – PSL. A balanced solution has thus been found, reconciling improved connectivity in the area with the protection of radio astronomy observations.
As part of the New Deal Mobile programme, the operator Orange, acting as the lead operator for the deployment of mobile sites on behalf of the four operators (Orange, Bouygues (…)

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What time is it on the Moon?

Michel Magnan — 2026-03-27T11:03:12Z

Interest in exploring the Moon and its surroundings has been on the rise over the past decade, as evidenced by the Artemis (NASA), LunaNET (NASA/ESA), and Moonlight (ESA) programs. Their goal is to establish a permanent presence around and on the Moon, which requires the deployment of infrastructure dedicated to navigation, positioning, and telecommunications in the vicinity of our satellite. To achieve this, it is necessary to first agree on the use of a coordinated time scale, serving the (…)

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A Solar System in the making?

Frederique Auffret — 2026-03-25T10:44:15Z

An international team of scientists, including three researchers from the Paris Observatory - PSL at the Laboratory of Instrumentation and Research in Astrophysics, has observed the formation of two planets in the disk surrounding a young star named WISPIT 2. These observations, along with the unique structure of the disk surrounding the star, suggest that the WISPIT 2 system may resemble a young solar system. This result will be published on March 24, 2026, in the journal The Astrophysical (…)

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Delivery of the adaptive optics bench for the MICADO instrument to Meudon

Michel Magnan — 2026-03-19T14:53:49Z

On March 16, 2026, the Meudon campus of the Paris Observatory – PSL welcomed the delivery of the final bench of the MICADO adaptive optics module, the first instrument to be installed on the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), currently under construction in the Atacama Desert in Chile.
Manufactured in Germany, this 2.5-meter-wide bench, weighing nearly 400 kg and designed at LIRA (Laboratory of Instrumentation and Research in Astrophysics), serves as the support structure for the (…)

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International Symposium on March 21: “Camille Flammarion, the Unsung Hero”

FICHET Fabien — 2026-03-16T12:30:36Z

On Saturday, March 21, 2026, an international symposium dedicated to Camille Flammarion (1842–1925) will be held at the Conservatoire national des arts et métiers (Cnam) in Paris. Organized in collaboration with the Paris Observatory – PSL, this study day will bring together science historians, astronomers, and specialists from various French and international institutions to revisit the figure of a major figure in the popularization of astronomy.
Organized by David Valls-Gabaud, an (…)

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The Paris Observatory - PSL, in solidarity with the national campaign “A Daffodil Against Cancer”

Frederique Auffret — 2026-03-10T16:44:58Z

The staff of the Paris Observatory - PSL are rallying to fight cancer by participating in the connected challenge of the daffodil race, organized as part of the “A Daffodil Against Cancer” campaign led by the Curie Institute.
On Tuesday, March 10, 2026, marking the start of the campaign, the Observatoire de Paris - PSL is taking on the connected challenge of “La Course de la Jonquille Contre le Cancer” (The Daffodil Race Against Cancer).
Throughout this solidarity initiative, which runs (…)

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The largest radio map of the sky reveals the Universe in unprecedented detail

Frederique Auffret — 2026-02-19T10:45:43Z

An international team comprising researchers from the Paris Observatory - PSL and the CNRS has released the largest and most detailed radio image ever produced. This new map from the LoTSS (LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey, DR3) survey catalogues 13.7 million cosmic sources and is currently the most comprehensive census of supermassive black holes in active growth phases. The results are published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics on 19 February 2026.
By observing the sky at low radio (…)

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International Day of Women and Girls in Science: the influence of an astrophysicist as an example

Frederique Auffret — 2026-02-11T09:03:59Z

On this February 11, 2026, as we celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the Paris Observatory – PSL is delighted to count among its scientists an exceptional female figure and a role model for future generations: Françoise Combes, a world-renowned astrophysicist who was recently elevated to the rank of Commander of the Legion of Honor. The Observatory extends its warmest congratulations to her.
An internationally renowned astrophysicist, professor at the Collège de (…)

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The small moon Enceladus shapes Saturn's environment over record distances

Frederique Auffret — 2026-02-09T17:34:17Z

An international scientific team led by a scientist from the LPP and involving researchers from the Paris Observatory - PSL, has revealed, based on data from the Cassini mission, that the interaction between Saturn and its moon Enceladus is much more extensive and complex than expected: Enceladus' influence extends over a record distance of more than 500,000 km, more than 2,000 times its own radius. This discovery establishes Enceladus as a giant Alfvén wave generator on the scale of the (…)

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