• Lucie Dospivová
  • ustav
  • 23.07.2024
  • Institute of Physics in Opava

Discovery of chords sounds emitted by black holes in the Universe

Opava´s astrophysicists have made a fascinating discovery during their long-term research on black holes. They found that gravitational waves emitted from the vicinity of black holes, or during the merger of two compact celestial bodies, are accompanied by undulations that resemble the chords of musical instruments. The properties of these "chords" will allow physicists not only to better determine the parameters of the objects generating these waves but also to predict potential threats to humanity from space.
  • Lucie Dospivová
  • ustav
  • 20.06.2024
  • Institute of Physics in Opava

The lowest full moon on the horizon

On Friday night, June 21th to Saturday, June 22nd, we will have the southernmost (lowest over the horizon) full moon of the year. The moon will reach its full phase at 3:10 CEST and will peak over the southern horizon just two hours earlier.
  • Lucie Dospivová
  • ustav
  • 17.06.2024
  • Institute of Physics in Opava

Watch out for the Noctilucent Clouds

Last week the chillingly beautiful Noctilucent clouds could be observed from the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The phenomenon most often appears in our skies in the weeks around the summer solstice, which occurs in less than a week.
  • Lucie Dospivová
  • ustav
  • 12.06.2024
  • Institute of Physics in Opava

Look out for Comet Olbers across the evening sky

Across the summer evening sky, low over the northwest horizon, we can look for the periodic comet 13P/Olbers in the coming months. The comet has returned to the inner Solar System after 68 long years.
  • Lucie Dospivová
  • ustav
  • 11.03.2024
  • Institute of Physics in Opava

The image of the Comet Pons-Brooks was published by NASA

On Saturday, 9th of March, 2024, NASA published a captivating image titled "Comet Pons-Brooks in Northern Spring" as the prestigious Astronomical Picture of the Day. Captured by Petr Horálek from the Institute of Physics in Opava, this remarkable image was snapped on 5th of March, 2024, near the Slovak town of Revúca. Horálek ventured to this location under clear skies to record comet 12P/Pons-Brooks alongside the Andromeda galaxy. Serendipity played a significant role in the creation of this stunning image. Even now, several days later, the comet remains visible to the naked eye, especially under pristine night skies far from urban light pollution, making it a spectacle accessible even through modest telescopes.
  • Lucie Dospivová
  • ustav
  • 19.01.2024
  • Institute of Physics in Opava

Our student focuses on the trail of photons in disks around black holes

Black holes are usually surrounded by large disks of matter, which scientists technically call accretion disks. The black hole's strong gravity affects both the physical processes taking place in the disks and the radiation emitted, allowing astronomers to study the structure of the disks and also to learn about the properties of the black hole itself. While no light escapes from black holes, the disks shine extremely brightly.
  • Lucie Dospivová
  • ustav
  • 12.01.2024
  • Institute of Physics in Opava

Study placement in Bern

This time, students of the Master's programme Observational High Energy Astrophysics travelled to Bern, Switzerland, during December 2023 as part of a study visit.
  • Lucie Dospivová
  • ustav
  • 03.01.2024
  • Institute of Physics in Opava

10th edition of Proceedings of RAGtime 23-25

In December, the Institute of Physics in Opava published the 10th edition of the Proceedings of RAGtime. The proceedings summarise the papers presented at the conferences held in Opava between 2021 and 2023.
  • Lucie Dospivová
  • ustav
  • 21.12.2023
  • Institute of Physics in Opava

How our students traveled to Rome

In the winter academic year 2023/2024, a group of Institute of Phycics in Opava Master's students went on a study placement in Rome, specifically at the INAF Observatory.
  • Lucie Dospivová
  • ustav
  • 09.11.2023
  • Institute of Physics in Opava

Join us in the today´s livestream to see a rare phenomenom in the sky!

On Thursday 9th of November, in the morning and noon hours, a rare astronomical phenomenon will occur in the sky: The Moon will cover the bright planet Venus in the daytime sky. In good weather, the phenomenon will be observable with the naked eye, and the staff of the Institute of Physics in Opava will offer a live video stream of the phenomenon to the public.