News

At its public meeting on Friday, 20 February, the council of Tartu Observatory unanimously elected Antti Tamm to continue his duties as director of the institute.

A record number of university members took part in the Digital Cleanup Month 2026. This shows that conscious digital hygiene has become a natural part of everyday work.

On Thursday, 12 March at 11:00, the University of Tartu Museum will host the presentation of Spinning the Cosmic Web, a major new monograph by Academician Jaan Einasto, Honorary Doctor of the University of Tartu and one of the world’s most influential astrophysicists. The event will take place in the White Hall of the University of Tartu Museum.

On February 13 at 14.00, Andres Käosaar will give a talk at the Tartu Observatory, followed by a discussion with Mihkel Pajusalu, Associate Professor of Space Technology at the University of Tartu Observatory.

Preliminary results of the International Student Barometer (ISB) show that international students are satisfied with their studies at the University of Tartu. They highlight strong academic quality, supportive learning conditions and the city of Tartu as an excellent living environment.

On 19 January 2026, stellar physicists from Tartu Observatory, University of Tartu and the Thuringian State Observatory Tautenburg (TLS) held a kick-off meeting to initiate a new international collaboration “Building Up A Network To Study Hot Planets Of Hot Stars”.

The Winter Satellite Workshop is the leading New Space event in Finland, Scandinavia, and the Baltic region. It brings together multiple space-focused events under one umbrella, creating a unique forum for collaboration and exchange. The workshop unites space technology experts, scientists, and students to explore emerging topics in the rapidly evolving space sector. Its scope covers New Space developments, small satellite missions and platforms, space science and instrumentation, Earth observation, and the sustainable use of space.

We wish our university community and friends a joyful holiday season and a Happy New Year!

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.

Applications for the doctoral programme are open until January 31, 2026.

With the annual awards, the university aims to recognise its employees’ and students’ outstanding achievements in teaching, doing research and serving society.

On 6–7 November, the Tartu Observatory of the University of Tartu hosted the kick-off meeting of the international research collaboration project E-Sailors (The Electric Solar Wind Sail Doctors).

The stars shine brightly in Tõravere. Estonia has approximately 50 clear nights a year, but the stars of Tõravere are present every evening. These are the stars of science, whose research and discoveries have significantly enhanced our understanding of the universe.

The University of Tartu was founded on 25 October 393 years ago. This year, the anniversary was marked by memorial ceremonies, a concert and other events.

From 13 October to 16 November, the university family and all others are invited to complete the orienteering course “160 years of making sense of weather observations”.

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.

1 December marks 106 years from the opening of the Estonian-language University of Tartu. Traditional anniversary events are held on that occasion.

On 22 October, doctoral researchers of the University of Tartu have an opportunity to introduce their research results to the public in the format of a three-minute short lecture.

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.

A new study finds that galaxy clusters — cosmic cities packed with thousands of galaxies — trace invisible highways of dark matter stretching up to a billion light years across the universe. Even more remarkable, the clusters point the way to their neighbors.