Illustration realized in the framework of a collaboration between the Image/Recit option of the HEAD (Haute École d'Art et de Design) - Genève and the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Geneva.

What is a galaxy? The common conception of a galaxy, in which it... click to read more

A large fraction of the stars of the present-day Universe is enclosed in giant, round-shaped galaxies, called “ellipticals”. Elliptical galaxies host very old stars, formed more than 10 billion years ago when the universe was still young. Despite the large availability of gas (the fuel... click to read more

How did galaxies, like our own Milky Way, arise from the featureless universe after the Big Bang? Through a lot of astronomical detective work, we now know that galaxies expand through consuming smaller systems, tearing them apart through their gravitational forces and assimilating their stars.... click to read more

Einstein's general theory of relativity predicted that gravity not only acts between two masses but also affects light which has no mass. We cannot see this effect in everyday life, but when light travels over vast intergalactic distances and is affected by the incredibly large... click to read more