Topic: research

Horizon 2020 project POEMS (Physics of extreme massive stars) investigated a variety of physical aspects that boost understanding of specific extreme phases in the evolution of massive stars.

Many types of stars eject matter during the late stages of their lives. These outbursts can either lead to almost a complete destruction of the star, as in the case of supernovae, or, in lower-mass stars, occur as recurring events that help shed excess material. Examples of the latter include nova explosions and outbursts in symbiotic binaries.

The universe is host to a plethora of phenomena that can release immense amounts of energy over short timescales, making them observable over very large distances. Many of these phenomena are associated with so-called compact objects like black holes, neutron stars, and white dwarfs, as well as the cataclysmic processes surrounding their formation. The strong gravitational and magnetic fields in their vicinity can generate high luminosities, accelerate particles to extreme energies and drive powerful outflows. Examples of such phenomena include supernovae that mark the final evolutionary stages of massive stars, as well as the highly magnetized neutron stars known as magnetars, which are occasionally born in these explosions.

To date, more than 6,000 planets have been discovered outside our Solar System. The systems in which these distant planets are found differ greatly from our own Solar System in terms of both the properties of their host stars and their planets. At Tõravere, we study these systems through observations as well as by modelling their planets and stars.

Nominations for the Estonian Science Communication Awards can be submitted to the Estonian Research Council (ETAG) until 15 September. The competition aims to recognise outstanding and active science communicators as well as innovative initiatives that promote science to wider audiences.

KuupKulgur, an Estonian lunar rover platform co-developed by Tartu Observatory and MTÜ KuupKulgur, reached a significant milestone in Estonia’s space robotics journey when it recently became the first Estonian-developed rover platform to operate at the unique lunar replica site, the ESA-DLR LUNA facility in Cologne, Germany.

At the Tartu Observatory of the University of Tartu, the optical periscopic imager for comets OPIC was completed and will be handed over to the European Space Agency (ESA).

The European Space Agency and the University of Tartu have signed an agreement to develop the ESTCube-3 satellite. This is a major step forward in advancing Estonia’s space technology and cybersecurity, providing students and researchers with the opportunity to practise satellite control and operations. ESTCube-3 is planned for launch by early 2029.

The Tartu Observatory of the University of Tartu has made remarkable progress over the past three years in the study of exoplanets – planets outside our Solar System. In collaboration with University College London, Uppsala University, and the Space Research Institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, the observatory’s researchers have acquired new expertise in modern spectroscopy and the use of machine learning, bringing Estonian science to the forefront of international research.

Estonian space education and space technology are entering a new phase. On 22 August, the University of Tartu (UT), Tallinn University of Technology and the Estonian Student Satellite Foundation signed an official cooperation agreement to initiate a joint space programme running for at least three years.