Didier Queloz and Michel Mayor, the new Swiss Nobels, pictured in 2005.
Keystone / Laurent Gillieron
Swiss scientists Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz have been jointly awarded the Nobel PrizeExternal link in Physics together with Canadian-American cosmologist James Peebles for their work in furthering our understanding of the universe.
In a ceremony in Stockholm External linkon Tuesday, Mayor and Queloz from the University of Geneva were awarded the 2019 prize for “the discovery of an exoplanet orbiting a solar-type star.”
Peebles, of Princeton University in the United States, was awarded the joint prize for “theoretical discoveries in physical cosmology.”
“While James Peebles’ theoretical discoveries contributed to our understanding of how the universe evolved after the Big Bang, Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz explored our cosmic neighbourhoods on the hunt for unknown planets,” the Nobel committee announced.
“Their discoveries have forever changed our conceptions of the world.”
“Simply extraordinary”
It was October 6, 1995 when Queloz and Mayor first announced the discovery of a planet orbiting a star other than our own, revolving around a star 42 light years away from Earth.
The discovery would unleash a rich period of astronomic exploration, with over 1,000 further exoplanets being discovered over the next decades.
“This discovery is the most exciting of our entire career, and to be awarded a Nobel Prize is simply extraordinary,” Mayor and Queloz said in a statement on Tuesday.
More
More
Is there life elsewhere?
This content was published on
What have we learned since two Swiss astronomers made the first discovery of an extrasolar planet 25 years ago?
The Swiss scientists continued to investigate, and 12 years after their initial success they discovered Gliese 581 c, a potentially Earth-like planet orbiting the red dwarf star, Gliese 581.
In the popular imagination, the Holy Grail is to find life on a planet other than our own. In an interview with swissinfo.ch a decade ago, when asked about this possibility, Mayor said: “as a scientist I feel unable to answer that question.”
Peebles was awarded half the 9-million-Swedish-crown ($910,000) Nobel prize while Mayor and Queloz shared the other half.
More
More
Thousands of planets – but is there life out there?
This content was published on
On October 6, 1995, Michel Mayor and Didier Quéloz announced the discovery of the first planet orbiting a star other than our sun.
Swiss authorities announce cost-cutting in asylum sector
This content was published on
The government notably wants to improve integration into the labour force, particularly for people with protection status S.
Various leaders confirm participation at Ukraine peace conference
This content was published on
The presidents of Poland, Finland, and Latvia and the prime ministers of Spain and Belgium will be at the Swiss-hosted talks in mid-June.
This content was published on
In the winter season up to April 2024, railway and cable car operators ferried 3% more visitors compared to the previous winter, and 5% more than the five-year average.
Rhine flooding: Swiss to invest CHF1 billion with Austria
This content was published on
As part of an international agreement with Austria, the Swiss government wants to pump CHF1 billion ($1.1 billion) into flood protection measures along the Rhine over the next three decades.
Swiss government proposes CHF10 million UNRWA donation
This content was published on
After months of debate, Switzerland plans to give CHF10 million ($11 million) to the UN agency this year, rather than the CHF20 million initially foreseen.
Swiss study: insects mainly migrate at midday and dusk
This content was published on
A study led by the Swiss Ornithological Institute in canton Lucerne is helping to better understand the movement patterns of migratory insects.
Red Cross: 22 staff killed in Middle East since October
This content was published on
The Red Cross and Red Crescent network in Gaza and Israel has lost 22 staff members since last October, the Swiss Red Cross (SRC) said on Wednesday.
Dortmund’s Kobel is first Swiss goalie in Champions League final
This content was published on
Borussia Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel has achieved history by becoming the first Swiss goalkeeper to reach a Champion’s League final.
University students in Switzerland join Gaza protest wave
This content was published on
Pro-Palestinian activists occupied university buildings in Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich on Tuesday, widening the protest movement in the Alpine nation.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Why Geneva remains at the centre of exoplanet research
This content was published on
Home-grown astronomers are meeting their international counterparts and highlighting their contributions to the field, not least the CHEOPS telescope.
Thousands of planets – but is there life out there?
This content was published on
On October 6, 1995, Michel Mayor and Didier Quéloz announced the discovery of the first planet orbiting a star other than our sun.
This content was published on
Mayor, who identified the first planet outside our solar system, this week attended the launch ceremony in Paris for the International Year of Astronomy. In 1995, Mayor and fellow astrophysicist Didier Queloz from Geneva University made a discovery that was to revolutionise modern astronomy. They observed the first planet outside our solar system, revolving around…
Dying star may have helped form Earth as we know it
This content was published on
If it had not been for a massive star, Earth may well have developed into a hostile ocean world covered in ice sheets, say scientists.
This content was published on
An exoplanet barely three times the mass of Earth has been discovered by an international team of astronomers including from Geneva.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.