Events in 2026

IFPU Focus Week: Analog gravity meets gravitational waves

Workshop
  • Start: Jan 19, 2026 09:00 AM (Local Time Germany)
  • End: Jan 23, 2026 02:00 PM
  • Speaker: diverse
  • Location: Institute for Fundamental Physics of the Universe (IFPU), Trieste, Italy
In this IFPU Focus Week, the organizers connect communities that explore black hole physics from different perspectives. [more]
Artistic representation of two merging black holes.

Public talk for kids (in German) “What does space sound like?”

Public talk
  • Date: Feb 22, 2026
  • Time: 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Benjamin Knispel
  • Location: Kindermuseum Zinnober, Am Steinbruch 16, 30449 Hannover
  • Host: Kindermuseum Zinnober
  • Topic: Discussion and debate formats, lectures
  • Contact: info@kindermuseum-hannover.de
Can you hear anything in space? And if so, what does it sound like? We travel into the depths of space to visit very special stars and mysterious black holes. Along the way, we listen to sounds that we have only been able to hear for a few years now, thanks to our new space microphones. [more]
Abstract depiction of gravitational waves in space, with intense red and violett colors, set against a starry backdrop.

Public talk (in German) “Gravitational wave astronomy – quo vadis?”

Public talk
  • Date: Mar 11, 2026
  • Time: 07:00 PM - 08:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Michèle Heurs
  • Leibniz Universität Hannover, Deutsches Zentrum für Astrophysik (DZA), Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY)
  • Location: Technische Universität Dresden, Campus Südvorstadt, Bergstraße 64, 01069 Dresden
  • Room: Audimax im Hörsaalzentrum
  • Host: Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft
  • Topic: Discussion and debate formats, lectures
Since the first direct detection of gravitational waves (GWs) in 2015, we have opened an entirely new observation window into the Universe (complementary to the electromagnetic spectrum, neutrinos, and cosmic rays), heralding the era of multi-messenger astronomy with GWs. A wealth of scientific insights has already been gained – but so much more is yet to be discovered! [more]
Poster of the event with the title and the picture of an individual with long pink and black hair in front of an astronomical image background.

Lise Meitner Lecture 2026 “Gravitational wave astronomy – quo vadis?”

Public talk
  • Date: Mar 18, 2026
  • Time: 07:00 PM - 08:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Michèle Heurs
  • Leibniz Universität Hannover, Hannover, Germany — Deutsches Zentrum für Astrophysik (DZA), Görlitz, Germany — Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Zeuthen, Germany
  • Location: Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg Bismarckstraße 1, 91054 Erlangen
  • Room: Audimax
  • Host: Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft
  • Topic: Discussion and debate formats, lectures
Since the first direct detection of gravitational waves (GWs) in 2015, we have opened an entirely new observation window into the Universe (complementary to the electromagnetic spectrum, neutrinos, and cosmic rays), heralding the era of multi-messenger astronomy with GWs. A wealth of scientific insights has already been gained – but so much more is yet to be discovered! [more]
Numerical simulation of a binary black hole merger.

Anna I. McPherson Lecture: “Gravitational-Wave Astronomy: The Sounds of Silence from the Dark Universe”

  • Date: Apr 9, 2026
  • Time: 06:00 PM - 08:00 PM (Central Time (US & Canada) UTC-5:00)
  • Speaker: Alessandra Buonanno
  • Location: McGill University, Montreal, Canada
  • Room: Stephen Leacock Building, Leacock Auditorium (room 132)
  • Topic: Discussion and debate formats, lectures
Public Anna I. McPherson Lecture by Alessandra Buonanno. [more]
Artist's impression of a pair of merging black holes.

Public talk (in German) “Gravitational-wave astronomy: Findings and mysteries after more than 300 observations”

Public talk
  • Date: Apr 15, 2026
  • Time: 07:00 PM - 08:30 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Frank Ohme
  • Location: Astronomische Vereinigung Vulkaneifel am Hohen List e.V., Im Staudchen 1, 56767 Höchstberg
  • Host: Astronomische Vereinigung Vulkaneifel am Hohen List e.V.
  • Topic: Discussion and debate formats, lectures
  • Contact: kontakt@hoher-list.de
Since September 14, 2015, we have been exploring a previously unknown side of the universe with the help of ripples in spacetime: gravitational waves. The major gravitational-wave observatories – LIGO, Virgo, and, more recently, KAGRA – have detected several hundred signals during four observing runs, released by the orbiting and merging of various binary systems. The results are astonishing: the universe is full of black holes, which come in various sizes and tell different stories of their origins. The dance of neutron stars has also already been observed. [more]
Logo of the Girls' Day

Girls' Day 2026 at AEI Hannover

Girls' Day
  • Date: Apr 23, 2026
  • Time: 09:00 AM - 01:30 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: various
  • Location: AEI Hannover, Callinstr. 38, 30167 Hannover
  • Host: Benjamin Knispel
  • Contact: benjamin.knispel@aei.mpg.de
On 23 April 2026 the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute) in Hannover participates in the Girls' Day. [more]
Logo of the Brandenburg Zukunftstag 2026

Future Day (Zukunftstag) 2026 at AEI Potsdam

Zukunftstag
  • Date: Apr 23, 2026
  • Time: 09:30 AM - 12:30 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: diverse
  • Location: AEI Potsdam, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam
  • Host: Elke Müller
  • Contact: elke.mueller@aei.mpg.de
The Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute) in Potsdam will participate in the Brandenburg Zukunftstag (Future Day) 2026 on April 23. [more]
Logo of the 2026 Potsdam Science Day

Potsdam Science Day 2026

Public Event
  • Date: May 9, 2026
  • Time: 12:00 PM - 06:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Location: Universität Potsdam, Potsdam Science Park
  • Topic: Open day
The Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics is participating in Potsdam Science Day on 9 May 2026, from 12:00 to 18:00. [more]
A dark sphere is surrounded by a yellow vortex and set against a starry background.

Public talk (in German) “10 years of gravitational-wave astronomy”

Public talk
  • Date: May 18, 2026
  • Time: 07:30 PM - 09:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Location: Naturinformationszentrum im Wasserturm (Eichenpark), Stadtparkallee 39, 30853 Langenhagen
  • Room: Vortragsraum
  • Host: Naturkundliche Vereinigung Langenhagen und Volkshochschule Langenhagen
  • Topic: Discussion and debate formats, lectures
A little over ten years ago, in September 2015, a new era of astronomy began. Since then, we have been observing the universe in a whole new way: with gravitational waves. [more]
Aerial picture of the L-shaped gravitational-wave detector between green and light-brown fields.

Open Day at GEO600

Open Day
  • Date: Jul 4, 2026
  • Time: 12:00 PM - 04:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: several
  • Location: GEO600, Schäferberg, 31157 Ruthe
  • Host: Benjamin Knispel
  • Topic: Open day
  • Contact: benjamin.knispel@aei.mpg.de
On Saturday, 4 July 2026, the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute) and the Institute for Gravitational Physics at Leibniz Universität Hannover invite you for the eleventh time to visit the German-British gravitational-wave detector GEO600 near Sarstedt. [more]
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