Didier Queloz is Professor of physics at Cambridge Cavendish Laboratory and part-time at Geneva University. He is at the origin of the ’exoplanet revolution’ in astrophysics when in 1995 during his PhD with his supervisor they announced the first discovery of a giant planet orbiting another star, outside the solar system. They received the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics for this spectacular discovery that kick started the rise of exoplanet researches.
Over the next 25 years, Didier Queloz scientific contributions have essentially been to make progress in detection and measurement of exoplanet systems with the goal to retrieve information on their physical structure. He participated and he conducted programs leading to the detection of hundred planets, include many breakthrough results. More recently he is directing his activity to the detection of Earth like planets and Universal life.
He participated to numerous documentaries movies, articles TV and radio interviews to share excitement and to promote interest for science in general and particularly topics about exoplanets and life in the Universe.
Professional position
- Professor, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge
Subject groups
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Earth and Environmental Sciences
Atmospheric physics and meteorology, Geophysics, Planetary science, Atmospheric chemistry
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Molecules of Life
Biochemistry and molecular biology
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Astronomy and Physics
Astronomy, Astrophysics, Biophysics, Gravitation, Solar physics
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Other
History of science
Awards
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Nobel Prize in Physics
Jointly with Michel Mayor for the discovery of an exoplanet orbiting a solar-type star.
