Kosmisches Kino: How Unique is Earth?

What makes Earth special? Is it really unique? Over the past three decades, astronomers have discovered thousands of exoplanets — worlds orbiting stars beyond our Sun — showcasing a stunning variety of sizes and environments. Many are unlike anything in our solar system: some worlds are scorching-hot giants, others are icy mini-Neptunes. All of them are reshaping our understanding of planetary formation and evolution. 

To study these distant worlds, scientists use innovative techniques. In transit observations for instance, a planet passes in front of its star and blocks during its passage a tiny fraction of starlight. This allows us to analyze the planet’s atmosphere and detect gases like water vapor or oxygen. Measuring a planet's thermal emission reveals its temperature and surface features, while direct imaging captures faint light from the planet itself, separated from its star’s glare. With new and more powerful telescopes on the horizon, we will soon be able to study planets similar to Earth. These tools will help us explore whether Earth is truly unique or just one example of many habitable worlds. 

In this Kosmisches Kino Giulia Roccetti from the European Southern Observatory (ESO) will uncover with us a kaleidoscope of different worlds and gain insights into what makes a planet capable of supporting life.

This event is in English.

What is Kosmisches Kino?

Kosmisches Kino (Cosmic Cinema) takes visitors into the breathtaking depths of space. Researchers from the ORIGINS Cluster of Excellence will accompany you on your journey through the cosmos with selected excerpts from planetarium films and an associated lecture.

Sit back and marvel. Want to know more? Just ask! Kosmisches Kino events take place under the dome of the planetarium. They offer all visitors, no prior knowledge required, an atmospheric insight into the world of research and provide you with new insights. At the end of the event, the researchers answer questions from the audience.

The lecture series Kosmisches Kino is a collaboration between ESO and the ORIGINS Cluster of Excellence and presents current research topics. The ORIGINS Excellence Cluster combines astrophysics, particle physics and biophysics to investigate the formation of the Universe and the origin of life. The lectures address exciting questions that current research is investigating: Is there a common thread connecting the Big Bang with the origin of life? How do you measure radiation from space and its effect on humans? Where and how do planets and stars form? What is Dark Matter? What are the building blocks of life on Earth and do they exist elsewhere in space? These and many other questions will be addressed over the course of the event series.

Admission to the approximately one-hour-long evening event with planetarium visualisations, a live lecture and open discussion costs 6.50 Euros per person. Events are aimed at people aged 12 years and over.