Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) in Heidelberg, Germany, is a research institute of the Max Planck Society. It sits on Königstuhl hill near the Landessternwarte Heidelberg-Königstuhl observatory. MPIA conducts basic astronomy research and also develops telescope instruments in its own workshops.
The institute was founded in 1969 under the direction of Hans Elsässer. It began with a small team and was completed in 1975. From 1973 to 1984 MPIA operated the Calar Alto Observatory in Spain with local authorities; in 2019 Spain bought the remaining stake.
Since 2005 MPIA has run the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) on Mount Graham, Arizona, with partners from Germany, Italy, and the USA. The LBT features two 8.4-meter mirrors, making it one of the largest optical telescopes in operation. MPIA also contributes to the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) and helped combine two VLT mirrors for higher resolution in 2002. In 2022 MPIA participated in planning work for the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) in Chile, which will have a 39-meter mirror.
MPIA has three main scientific priorities: how stars and planets form and evolve, including exoplanets and their atmospheres; galaxies and cosmology to understand the structure and history of the universe; and the search for conditions that could support life beyond Earth through its Origins of Life initiatives (HIFOL), started in 2015 with partners from Heidelberg institutions.
The institute builds instruments for ground-based telescopes and satellites and participates in the Gaia mission to map about a billion stars in the Milky Way.
Managing Director is Laura Kreidberg (as of January 2024). By the end of 2021 MPIA employed about 392 people, including 190 scientists (95 junior and visiting). It runs nine independent research groups and participates in the International Max Planck Research School for Astronomy and Cosmic Physics (IMPRS), along with partners from Heidelberg University, HITS, and LMU.
MPIA also hosts public outreach through the Haus der Astronomie, opened in 2011 with support from the Klaus Tschira Foundation. The center offers talks, planetarium shows, workshops, and an International Summer Internship Program for students and recent graduates.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 11:17 (CET).