description Observatoire de Genève Overview
The Geneva Observatory (Observatoire de Genève) is a Swiss astronomical research facility located in Sauverny, Switzerland. It is most famous as the institution where astronomers Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz discovered the first exoplanet orbiting a Sun-like star, 51 Pegasi b, in 1995, earning them the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics. The observatory maintains a strong focus on astrophysics and exoplanetary science, actively participating in European Southern Observatory projects and operating instruments like the HARPS spectrograph in Chile.
help Observatoire de Genève FAQ
What exoplanet discovery is associated with the Geneva Observatory?
Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz of the University of Geneva discovered 51 Pegasi b, the first confirmed planet orbiting a Sun-like main-sequence star. They announced the discovery in 1995 and published it in Nature.
Was 51 Pegasi b actually observed from Sauverny?
The researchers were based at the Geneva Observatory in Sauverny, but the observations were made with the ELODIE spectrograph at the Haute-Provence Observatory in France. ELODIE was installed on a 1.93-meter telescope.
How did Mayor and Queloz detect 51 Pegasi b?
They used the radial-velocity method, measuring repeated Doppler shifts as the planet's gravity pulled its star back and forth. The signal revealed a giant planet completing an orbit in about 4.2 days.
Did the discovery earn a Nobel Prize?
Mayor and Queloz shared half of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics for discovering an exoplanet orbiting a solar-type star. The other half went to James Peebles for theoretical discoveries in physical cosmology.
explore Explore More
Similar to Observatoire de Genève
compare_arrows Compare: Harvard College Observatory See all arrow_forward
Reviews & Comments
Write a Review
Be the first to review
Share your thoughts with the community and help others make better decisions.
