Welcome!

The Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) is dedicated to astrophysical questions ranging from the exploration of our Sun to the evolution of the cosmos. It focuses on the study of stellar, solar and exoplanetary physics, extragalactic astrophysics and the development of research technologies in the fields of spectroscopy, robotic telescopes and E-science.

Einstein Tower, Great Refractor
Stellar Fireworks
Galactic-Center-Meerkat
Sun-magnetic_field_lines
MUSE Ultra Deep Field

Day of Open Monuments, 14 September 2025

On the Day of Open Monuments, 14 September 2025, the AIP will open the Einstein Tower on the Telegrafenberg in Potsdam from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Members of the Großer Refraktor e.V. association will also open the Great Refractor, the fourth-largest refracting telescope in the world, and offer guided tours of the Telegrafenberg as well as explanations about the telescope.

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Exoplanet Sparks Stellar Fireworks

Astronomers have witnessed a planet causing eruptions on its parent star. The discovery, published in Nature, could reshape our understanding of how planets and stars interact and evolve together.

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The role of feedback in galaxy formation

From 14 to 18 July 2025, more than 150 selected scientists will meet at the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) to discuss current challenges and developments in astrophysics at the 18th Potsdam Thinkshop. This year's edition of the international event series is dedicated to the topic of ‘The Role of Feedback in Galaxy Formation’ .

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Research Area I: Stellar, Solar and Exoplanetary Physics

Cosmic events are determined by two natural forces: gravity and magnetic fields. The magnetic field research at the AIP is mainly focused on magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations, the magnetically induced activities on the Sun and the stars, solar coronaphysics as well as space weather in our solar system and on planets around other stars.

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Research Area II: Extragalactic Astrophysics

Galaxies are fundamental cosmic building blocks. At the largest scales, they serve as markers to study the distribution of matter in the universe - active galaxies and quasars are particularly important because of their intrinsic brightness. Nearby objects can be spatially resolved and consist of populations with very different patterns of motion, star formation histories and chemical abundances.

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From 14 to 18 July 2025, more than 150 selected scientists will meet at the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) to discuss current challenges and developments in astrophysics at the 18th Potsdam Thinkshop. This year's edition of the international event series is dedicated to the topic of ‘The Role of Feedback in Galaxy Formation’.

Astronomers have witnessed a planet causing eruptions on its parent star. The discovery, published in Nature, could reshape our understanding of how planets and stars interact and evolve together.

On Wednesday 28 May 2025, the Maria-Margaretha-Kirch building will be officially opened on the campus of the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam.

 

Have you heard?

The Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) has suspended communication on its X account (formerly Twitter). The decision reflects concerns about the current direction of the platform, which is seen as inconsistent with our values like openness, scientific integrity, transparency and democratic discourse. AIP will continue to share news via its website and other social media platforms, such as Mastodon and Bluesky.

Latest Publications

The CosmoVerse White Paper: Addressing observational tensions in cosmology with systematics and fundamental physics

Di Valentino, E., ... Benisty, D., ...
Physics of the Dark Universe, 49, 101965 – Published September 2025

Ion-rich Acceleration during an Eruptive Flux Rope Event in a Multiple Null-point Configuration

Pesce-Rollins, M., ... Warmuth, A., ...
The Astrophysical Journal, 989, 2, 148 – Published August 2025

BASS. XLVIII. [Ne V] λ3427 Emission in Powerful Nearby Active Galactic Nuclei

Reiss, T., ... Powell, M. C., ...
The Astrophysical Journal, 989, 1, 88 – Published August 2025

A Large Catalog of DA White Dwarf Characteristics Using SDSS and Gaia Observations

Crumpler, N. R., ... Schwope, A., ...
The Astrophysical Journal, 989, 1, 24 – Published August 2025

SRG/eROSITA No. 5: Discovery of Quasiperiodic Eruptions Every ∼3.7 days from a Galaxy at z > 0.1

Arcodia, R., ... Krumpe, M.
The Astrophysical Journal, 989, 1, 13 – Published August 2025

Temperature-compensating package for OH line filters for astronomy: II. manufacture, assembly, and performance study

Luo, X., Rodriguez Alvarez, C. E., Rahman, A., Soemitro, A. A., Önel, H., Paschke, J., Bauer, S.-M., Madhav, K., Bittner, W., Roth, M. M.
Optics Express, 33, 16, 34008 – Published August 2025

The dynamical impact of cosmic rays in the Rhea magnetohydrodynamic simulations

Kjellgren, K., ... Pfrommer, C., ...
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 700, A124 – Published August 2025

Reconstructing the radial velocity distribution of the Milky Way's circumgalactic medium with HESTIA

Rünger, F., Sparre, M., ... Libeskind, N., Sorce, J. G., Steinmetz, M., ...
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 700, A131 – Published August 2025

BASS: XLIV. Morphological preferences of local hard X-ray selected AGNs

Parra Tello, M., ... Powell, M. C., ...
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 700, A111 – Published August 2025

Strömgren photometric metallicity map of the Magellanic Cloud stars using Gaia DR3–XP spectra

Omkumar, A. O., Cioni, M.-R. L., Subramanian, S., ...
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 700, A74 – Published August 2025

The eROSITA DR1 variability catalogue

Boller, T., ... Schwope, A., ... Krumpe, M., ...
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 700, A61 – Published August 2025

Accretion onto supermassive and intermediate-mass black holes in cosmological simulations

Weinberger, R. et al.
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 700, A52 – Published August 2025

A Statistical Analysis of Magnetic Parameters in Solar Source Regions of Halo Coronal Mass Ejections with and without Solar Energetic Particle Events

Duan, X., ... Sun, Z., ...
The Astrophysical Journal, 988, 2, 265 – Published August 2025

Figuring Out Gas and Galaxies in Enzo (FOGGIE). IX. The Angular Momentum Evolution of Milky Way–like Galaxies and Their Circumgalactic Gas

Simons, R. C., ... Augustin, R., ...
The Astrophysical Journal, 988, 2, 250 – Published August 2025

New Field OB and OBe Binaries of the SMC Wing: Observational Properties and Population Modeling

Vargas-Salazar, I., ... Castro, N., ...
The Astrophysical Journal, 988, 2, 146 – Published August 2025

SDSS-V Milky Way Mapper (MWM): ASPCAP Stellar Parameters and Abundances in SDSS-V Data Release 19

Mészáros, S., ... Guiglion, G., ... Valentini, M., ... Weingrill, J.
The Astronomical Journal, 170, 2, 96 – Published August 2025

Investigating field burial by magnetically confined accretion mounds on neutron stars

Yeole, S., Mukherjee, D., Mandal, A.
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 541, 4, 3280 – Published August 2025

X-ray and optical analysis of the prototype polar AN UMa

Ok, S., Yardımcı, M., Kalomeni, B., Schwope, A.
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 541, 2, 1913 – Published August 2025

Anisotropic thermal conduction on a moving mesh for cosmological simulations

Talbot, R. Y., ... Pfrommer, C., ...
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 541, 3, 2493 – Published August 2025

Tracing the Milky Way: calibrating chemical ages with high-precision Kepler data

Casali, G., ... Chiappini, C., ...
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 541, 3, 2631 – Published August 2025

Probing the co-evolution of Supermassive Black Holes and their hosts from scaling relations pairwise residuals: dominance of stellar velocity dispersion and host halo mass

Shankar, F., ... Powell, M., ...
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 541, 2, 2070 – Published August 2025

NGC 663 as a laboratory for massive star evolution

Marco, A., Negueruela, I., Castro, N., Simón-Díaz, S.
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society – Published July 2025

XMM-Newton follow-up of two eROSITA X-ray binary candidates

Avakyan, A., ... Schwope, A., ... Brink, J., ...
Experimental Astronomy, 60, 1, 6 – Published July 2025

Discovery of Diffuse Radio Emission in a Massive z = 1.709 Cool Core Cluster: A Candidate Radio Minihalo

HLavacek-Larrondo, J., ... Pfrommer, C., ... Tevlin, L., ...
The Astrophysical Journal, 987, 2, L40 – Published July 2025

Cosmic-Ray-driven Galactic Winds with Resolved Interstellar Medium and Ion-neutral Damping

Sike, B., Thomas, T., Ruszkowski, M., Pfrommer, C., Weber, M.
The Astrophysical Journal, 987, 2, 204 – Published July 2025

Discovery of a Weak CN Spectral Absorption Feature in Red Supergiant Stars in the Andromeda (M31) and Triangulum (M33) Galaxies

Guhathakurta, P., ... Cullinane, L. R., ...
The Astrophysical Journal, 987, 2, 203 – Published July 2025

Close-in planet induces flares on its host star

Ilin, E., ... Poppenhäger, K., ...
Nature, 643, 8072, 645 – Published July 2025

On inertial forces (indirect terms) in problems with a central body

Crida, A., ... Marques, L., ...
The Open Journal of Astrophysics, 8, 84 – Published July 2025

Bošković's Spherical Trigonometric Solution for Determining the Axis and Rate of Solar Rotation by Observing Sunspots in 1777

Husak, M., ... Krajnović, D., ...
Solar Physics, 300, 7, 93 – Published July 2025

The VMC Survey: LIII. Anomalous Cepheids in the Magellanic Clouds: Period-luminosity relations in the near-infrared bands

Sicignano, T., ... Cioni, M.-R. L., ... Storm, J., ...
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 699, A370 – Published July 2025

[List of AIP publications] [AIP publications in ADS]

Speaker: Dr. Malcolm Druett (Sheffield University)
Title: Flare evaporation, condensations, and ribbons

11.09.2025, 14:30 – 15:30
Scientific

Speaker: Lara Cullinane (AIP)
Title: TBD

Speaker: Paola Di Matteo (Paris Observatory, Meudon)
Title: TBD

30.09.2025 – 01.10.2025
Internal Event
02.10.2025, 14:30 – 15:30
Scientific

Speaker: Ramona Augustin (AIP)
Title: TBD

Public Event
Scientific
Internal Event
Holidays