on my webpage! I am an experienced spacecraft analyst at the European Space Operations Centre via Telespazio Germany GmbH. Currently, I am the analyst for the X-ray astronomy mission XMM-Newton, but have worked as an analyst for almost all Earth Explorer spacecrafts previously. In the past I have worked as an astrophysicist studing accreting neutron stars and cosmological neutrino sources. For more details please have a look at the “About me” menu.
ESA Space Science News
ESA observations of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS
15/12/2025
The European Space Agency (ESA) reacted promptly to the discovery of comet 3I/ATLAS on 1 July 2025. Soon after they were alerted to its existence by automated detection systems, ESA astronomers began using ground-based telescopes in Hawaii, Chile, and Australia to monitor its progress.Since then, the comet has been observed by space telescopes close to Earth, including the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, XMM-Newton and XRISM. In recent months, ESA has turned interplanetary voyagers Mars Express, ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter and the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) in the direction of the comet to make further observations from excellent vantage points.Follow the links below for more information.
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A celebrity cluster in the spotlight
22/01/2026
This NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope Picture of the Month brings us a scene from the distant Universe.
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Hubble uncovers the secret of stars that defy ageing
21/01/2026
Some stars appear to defy time itself. Nestled within ancient star clusters, they shine bluer and brighter than their neighbours, looking far younger than their true age. Known as blue straggler stars, these stellar oddities have puzzled astronomers for more than 70 years. Now, new results using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope are finally revealing how these 'forever young' stars come to be and why they thrive in quieter cosmic neighbourhoods.
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Magnetic avalanches power solar flares, finds Solar Orbiter
21/01/2026
Just as avalanches on snowy mountains start with the movement of a small quantity of snow, the ESA-led Solar Orbiter spacecraft has discovered that a solar flare is triggered by initially weak disturbances that quickly become more violent. This rapidly evolving process creates a ‘sky’ of raining plasma blobs that continue to fall even after the flare subsides.
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Webb reveals Helix Nebula in glistening detail
20/01/2026
Helix Nebula (NIRCam image)
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Plato passes vibe check
15/01/2026
Plato, the European Space Agency’s mission to discover Earth-like exoplanets, successfully passed a first round of tests designed to ensure that the spacecraft is fit for launch.
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Sandblasting on Mars
07/01/2026
Martian winds can have quite an impact. ESA’s Mars Express has spotted them whipping up sand grains and acting as a cosmic sandblaster, carving out intriguing grooves near Mars’s equator.
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Cloud-9: a new celestial object found by Hubble
05/01/2026
A team using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has uncovered a new type of astronomical object – a starless, gas-rich, dark-matter cloud that is considered a 'relic' or remnant of early galaxy formation. Nicknamed 'Cloud-9,' this is the first confirmed detection of such an object in the Universe.
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Fly through Webb’s cosmic vistas
25/12/2025
On the launch anniversary of the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, ESA presents a unique compilation of zooms into stunning cosmic views.
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Euclid’s galaxy garland
22/12/2025
Euclid image of galaxy NGC 646
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Webb: Dwarf stars in a glittering sky
19/12/2025
Dwarf stars in a glittering sky
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Hubble sees asteroids colliding around nearby star
18/12/2025
In a historical milestone, astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope witnessed the catastrophic collisions in a nearby planetary system. As they observed the bright star Fomalhaut, scientists saw the impact of massive objects around the star. The Fomalhaut system appears to be in a dynamical upheaval, similar to what our Solar System experienced in its first few hundred million years after formation.
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Gaia finds hints of planets in baby star systems
18/12/2025
Ever wondered how planetary systems like our own Solar System form? Thanks to the European Space Agency’s Gaia space telescope, we're getting a unique peek behind the cosmic curtain into these dusty environments.
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The journey of Juice – episode 2
11/12/2025
ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) is on an epic eight-year journey to Jupiter.
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Europe’s next mission to Venus – Envision this (introduction)
01/12/2025
Meet Envision.
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