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This portal provides basic knowledge on astronomy and highlights current research projects and collaborations in Switzerland.

Image: ESO

Optical and Infrared Astronomy

The following are five examples of observation missions with Swiss participation in the optical and infrared ranges. Telescopes that investigate radiation in this range can be either travelling in space or stationed on Earth.

Artist's impression of the James Webb telescope
Artist's impression of the James Webb telescope
Artist's impression of the James Webb telescopeImage: ESA/ATG medialab
Image: ESA/ATG medialab

James Webb Space Telescope

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was launched at the end of 2021 into space and is still orbiting the L2 Lagrange point around the Sun. It examines wavelengths between 0.6 micrometres and 28 micrometres (i.e. in the range from red visible light to mid-infrared).

Images from the JWST teach us more about the history of the universe. What were the first luminous objects after the Big Bang? How have galaxies evolved from their formation to the present day? How did the stars and planets come into being? Where is there potential for extraterrestrial life? How is the atmosphere of exoplanets structured?

The JWST is a co-operation between ESA, NASA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).

ESA's Gaia space telescope
ESA's Gaia space telescope
ESA's Gaia space telescopeImage: ESA/C. Carreau
Image: ESA/C. Carreau

Gaia

The Gaia space telescope is also on the move at the L2 Lagrange point and is primarily intended to measure luminous objects such as stars, asteroids, exoplanets and galaxies, determine their magnitude and colour and, in some cases, show their spectra. Gaia has three instruments: an astrometer to determine the position of the objects, a photometer for the colour and a spectrometer to measure the radial velocity.
Gaia has been in space since 2013, and the mission was originally scheduled to last until 2019. However, it has been postponed several times and the provisional end date has now been set for 2025.

Observation platform of the VLT (Very Large Telescope)
Observation platform of the VLT (Very Large Telescope)
Observation platform of the VLT (Very Large Telescope)

Very Large Telescope

The Very Large Telescope (VLT) of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) is stationed in the Atacama Desert in Chile and consists of four main telescopes with mirrors with a diameter of 8.2 metres and four auxiliary telescopes with mirrors with a diameter of 1.8 metres. The VLT is capable of observations in the optical range up to the mid-infrared range. Thanks to the VLT, the first image of an exoplanet was obtained, along with images of stars orbiting the black hole at the centre of the Milky Way.

With its 39 metre primary mirror, ESO's Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) will be the world's largest telescope for the optical and near-infrared range - 16 times more powerful than the current largest optical telescope. It will be capable of corrections for atmospheric disturbances and deliver images 16 times sharper than the Hubble Space Telescope. The ELT will enable the detailed exploration of planets around other stars, the first galaxies in the universe, supermassive black holes and the "dark sector" of the universe.
With its 39 metre primary mirror, ESO's Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) will be the world's largest telescope for the optical and near-infrared range - 16 times more powerful than the current largest optical telescope. It will be capable of corrections for atmospheric disturbances and deliver images 16 times sharper than the Hubble Space Telescope. The ELT will enable the detailed exploration of planets around other stars, the first galaxies in the universe, supermassive black holes and the "dark sector" of the universe.
With its 39 metre primary mirror, ESO's Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) will be the world's largest telescope for the optical and near-infrared range - 16 times more powerful than the current largest optical telescope. It will be capable of corrections for atmospheric disturbances and deliver images 16 times sharper than the Hubble Space Telescope. The ELT will enable the detailed exploration of planets around other stars, the first galaxies in the universe, supermassive black holes and the "dark sector" of the universe.Image: ESO
Image: ESO

Extremely Large Telescope

The Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) is also an ESO project. Stationed on Earth, it is an even larger telescope than the VLT. The main mirror will have a diameter of 39 metres and be composed of 798 hexagonal mirror elements. Eight different instruments will measure and image the sky. The ELT has been under construction since 2017 and will also be stationed in the Atacama Desert in Chile, just 20 kilometres from the VLT. Researchers expect it to be used for the first time in 2027.

Among other things, the ELT will help to find new exoplanets in the habitable zone and find out what dark matter consists of.

Artist impression of the Euclid space telescope on its way to Lagrange point L2.
Artist impression of the Euclid space telescope on its way to Lagrange point L2.
Artist impression of the Euclid space telescope on its way to Lagrange point L2.Image: Work performed by ATG under contract for ESA.
Image: Work performed by ATG under contract for ESA.

Euclid space telescope

The Euclid space telescope from the ESA has been in space since 2023. It is equipped with two instruments that detect radiation in the visible and infrared light spectrum. Euclid helps create a kind of space map that reveals the structure of the universe – the cosmic web. The mission also aims to gain more insights into dark energy and dark matter. Euclid is expected to remain active for six years.
The telescope is stationed at the Lagrange point L2. From Switzerland, institutions such as the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, the University of Zurich, and the University of Geneva are participating in the project.

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