Welcome to the Astronomical Institute

The Astronomical Institute of Ruhr University Bochum brings together several research groups that study the Universe from a variety of perspectives, ranging from individual astrophysical sources to the largest structures in the cosmos.

These include, among others, the search for the sources of high-energy neutrinos, the study of galaxies and their evolution, radio astronomical investigations of cosmic magnetic fields and particle acceleration, and the exploration of the large-scale structure of the Universe using precise observational data.

We employ modern observational methods across the entire electromagnetic spectrum and work closely with international observatories and survey projects. Together, we contribute to a deeper understanding of the Universe in all its diversity.

News

The nebulae of binary star systems

In binary star systems, things rarely remain peaceful for long. At some point, one star starts to steal matter from the other. The result is often widespread destruction. And a colourful nebula. The Hubble Space Telescope never ceases to delight us with...

Bessel Prize for Benjamin Joachimi: Support for international collaboration in cosmology

The Faculty of Physics and Astronomy is delighted to announce that Prof. Benjamin Joachimi has been awarded the Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Prize. The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation awards the prize annually to around 20 internationally recognised scientists...

First images of the Vera Rubin Observatory live at the Bochum Planetarium

On Monday, June 23, at 4:30 p.m., all interested parties are invited to the Bochum Planetarium to attend the publication of the first images from the Rubin Observatory, which is going into operation in Chile. Prof. Hendrik Hildebrandt from the Ruhr University, who...