2 Swiss Scientist Win Nobel Prize in Physics
(University of Geneva, September 30, 2019)
In early October, two Swiss scientists were awarded the Nobel prize in Physics for their discovery of the first exoplanet. The two Swiss scientists jointly received one half and the other half going to a Canadian researcher - John Peebles - for his theoretical discoveries in physical cosmology. On October 6, 1995, Michel Mayor, Professor at the Observatory of the Faculty of Science of the University of Geneva, Switzerland, and his doctoral student Didier Queloz revolutionized the world of astrophysics when they announced the discovery of the first planet located outside our solar system. Named 51 Pegasi b, this very first exoplanet had a huge impact on the astrophysicist community. Since that day, roughly 4000 exoplanets have been discovered. Both, Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz were awarded the Nobel prize in Physics.