• Webb ready for a Christmas launch

    After more than two decades of twists and turns, challenges and successes, the James Webb Space Telescope has finally completed its battery of tests to ensure that it will survive its journey into space. The telescope…

  • Lookback at our 2021 summer internships

    Autumn is approaching, and it is the end of the summer internships at the Institute. For our 21 interns, it is time to go back to their undergraduate studies, or to embark on the adventure of…

  • 2022 Trottier Excellence Grants for Summer Interns

    The Institute for Research on Exoplanets (iREx), affiliated with the Department of Physics of the Université de Montréal (UdeM), will soon be calling for applications from undergraduate students to the 2022 Trottier Excellence Grants for Summer…

  • A new Canadian telescope to study exoplanets

    In May 2021, the Canadian Space Agency announced a $1.1 million contract for the development of prototype optics for a small space telescope dedicated to the study of exoplanets. Jason Rowe, Canada Research Chair, Professor at…

  • New MSc/PhD positions for 2022

    The iREx invites students who would like to pursue a Master’s (M.Sc.) or a Doctorate (Ph.D.) in the field of exoplanets at the Université de Montréal or at one of the other home universities of iREx…

  • My master thesis in 400 words: Timothy Hallatt

    Timothy Hallatt, an iREx student at McGill University, submitted his MSc thesis in the Summer of 2021. He summarizes here the research projects he conducted as part of his MSc degree. The past decade has seen…

  • Science Literacy Week 2021

    As part of Science Literacy Week, the Institute for Research on Exoplanets proposes a virtual activity called Venus, Earth and Mars: only one perfect planet for us? for students in the third cycle of primary school…

  • Hot and dry: SPIRou reveals the atmosphere of hot Jupiter Tau Boötis b

    Measuring the composition of the atmosphere of the hot Jupiter Tau Boötis b more precisely than ever, an iREx-led team of astronomers provides a better understanding of giant exoplanets. Using the SPIRou spectropolarimeter on the Canada-France-Hawaii…

  • Caroline Piaulet recipient of a Vanier Scholarship

    Caroline Piaulet, a PhD student at the Université de Montréal and a member of the Institute for Research on Exoplanet, is the recipient of one of the prestigious Vanier Scholarships, funded in part by the Natural…

  • iREx astronomers some of the first to use JWST in Year 1

    Thousands of astronomers submitted telescope time proposals in November 2020 in the hopes of obtaining access to James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) data during its first year of operations. A committee made up of astronomy experts…

  • Flash Interviews 2020-2021: Learn more about our students!

    The dynamism of iREx is largely due to its graduate students. In order to introduce you to these promising scientists, we led a series of short interviews. Throughout the 2020-2021 academic year, we posted these portraits on…

  • Eclipse Chasers

    From June 5 to 15, become an Eclipse Chaser! Complete the different missions to collect points and you could win prizes! This activity is aimed at kids and their families. Deadline: June 15th 2021 Limited spots!…

  • Meet our 2021 summer interns

    It is with great pride that iREx welcomes the 20 interns working with us this year. These undergraduate students from across Canada are conducting a variety of research projects, supervised by iREx professors based at Université…

  • My PhD thesis in 400 words: Taylor Bell

    Taylor Bell, an iREx student at McGill University, submitted his PhD thesis in the Spring of 2021. He summarizes here the research projects he conducted as part of his PhD degree. Thirty-three years ago, a team…

  • My Master Thesis in 400 Words: Louis-Philippe Coulombe

    Louis-Philippe Coulombe, an iREx student at Université de Montréal, submitted his master’s thesis in the Spring of 2021. He summarizes here the research projects he conducted as part of his master’s degree. Research on the atmosphere…

  • A Solar Eclipse on the morning of June 10th 2021

    The Institute for Research on Exoplanets and its partners the Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic and the Centre for Research in Astrophysics of Quebec invite you to admire the solar eclipse taking place at sunrise on the morning…

  • Nathalie Ouellette wins a Prix du recteur 2021

    Nathalie Ouellette, astrophysicist and Coordinator of iREx, is the winner of 2021 Prix du Recteur of the Université de Montréal, in the category Initiative. This award recognises the imagination, dynamism and creativity of a member of the…

  • A new educational project on exoplanets thanks to the NovaScience program

    Thanks to a grant from the Ministère de l’Économie et de l’Innovation‘s NovaScience program, the Institute for Research on Exoplanets (iREx) and its partners are developing new educational resources as part of a project titled “Exoplanets:…

  • My master thesis in 400 words: Déreck-Alexandre Lizotte

    Déreck-Alexandre Lizotte, an iREx student at Bishop’s University, submitted his master’s thesis in early 2021. He summarizes here the research project he conducted as part of his master’s degree. As Kepler scanned for possible exoplanets, a significant…

  • Caroline Piaulet receives an Engagement Scholarship from the Université de Montréal

    Caroline Piaulet, a PhD student at the Université de Montréal, has been awarded an engagement scholarship (Bourses d’engagement de la Faculté des arts et des sciences) for the year 2020-2021. This scholarship recognises her exceptional involvement…

  • La petite école de l’espace is back on May 22, 2021!

    Marie-Eve and Frédérique will be happy to see your children again at the Petite école de l’espace on Saturday, May 22 from 10:00 am to 10:30 am! During this online event, astrophysicists Frédérique Baron and Marie-Eve Naud tell space-themed stories and…

  • Moon Hunt

    During the month of April, participate in our Moon Hunt! Complete the different missions to collect points and you could win prizes! This activity is aimed at kids and their families. Deadline: May 5th 2021 Limited…

  • Astronomers uncover mysterious origins of ‘super-Earths’

    Study shows super-Earths are not leftovers of mini-Neptunes, challenging our understanding of planetary formation Mini-Neptunes and super-Earths up to four times the size of our own are the most common exoplanets orbiting stars beyond our solar…

  • Final tests for Webb’s sunshield

    Despite some minor delays in the project, the James Webb Space Telescope achieved several important milestones in 2020. One of the most important of these was the complete and successful extension of the observatory’s enormous sunshield….

  • My time at iREx – Mohamad Ali-Dib

    Mohamad Ali-Dib, the Trottier 2018 postdoctoral fellow at the Université de Montréal, joined the iREx in January 2019. At the end of 2020, he left iREx to pursue his career at the Center for Astro, Particle,…

  • Astronomer in Your Classroom – 24h of Science

    The Institute for Research on Exoplanets, in collaboration with the Centre de recherche en astrophysique du Québec (CRAQ) and the Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic, is organizing the “Astronomer in Your Virtual Classroom” activity within the framework of…

  • SPIRou stares at a young rebel: the AU Mic planetary system

    SPIRou, the new high-precision infrared spectropolarimeter recently installed at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, has measured for the first time the mass and density of a Neptune-like planet in close orbit around a very young and extremely active…

  • My master thesis in 400 words: Frédéric Genest

    Frédéric Genest, an iREx student studying at the Université de Montréal, submitted his master’s thesis at the end of 2020. He summarizes here the research project he conducted as part of his master’s thesis. There are…

  • An event for college students : Soirée d’initiation à la recherche en astrophysique

    The Institute for research on exoplanets, in collaboration with the Department of Physics of the Université de Montréal and the Centre de recherche en astrophysique du Québec organizes the Soirée d’initiation à la recherche en astrophysique,…

  • A ‘super-puff’ planet like no other

    A University of Montreal-led team of astronomers discovers that the core mass of exoplanet WASP-107b is much lower than previously thought possible for a gas-giant planet. The core mass of the giant exoplanet WASP-107b is much…

  • Look up Challenge!

    JOIN THE #LOOKUPCHALLENGE HERE! The holidays will undoubtedly be different this year. You may not be able to see all your loved ones… but you will all be under the same sky! The institute partners with…

  • Jonathan Gagné joins iREx as an Associate Member

    Jonathan Gagné, a Scientific Advisor at the Rio Tinto Alcan Montreal Planetarium with Space for Life became an Adjunct Professor with the Department of Physics at the Université de Montréal in September 2020. We are thus thrilled to…

  • Supersonic winds, rocky rains forecasted on lava planet

    “Rocky” weather could change the surface and atmosphere over time on exoplanet K2-141b Among the most extreme planets discovered beyond the edges of our solar system are lava planets: fiery hot worlds that circle so close…

  • Towards a better understanding of the β Pictoris system

    Recent work led by Thomas Vandal, an iREx master’s student at the Université de Montréal under the supervision of René Doyon, succeeded in constraining the physical characteristics of the planets around Beta Pictoris using a new…

  • My master thesis in 400 words : Raphaël Hardy

    Raphaël Hardy, an iREx student at Université de Montréal, finished his master degree in 2020. Here, he summarizes the research project he carried out during his studies: Hot Jupiters are exoplanets with unique features. Due to…

  • My master thesis in 400 words : Charles Cadieux

    Charles Cadieux, an iREx student at Université de Montréal, finished his master degree in 2020. Here, he summarizes the research project he carried out during his studies: The many detections of Kepler and its extended mission…

  • Interview with professors Björn Benneke and Nicolas Cowan on LTT 9779 b, a special hot Neptune

    LTT 9779 b is an exoplanet the size of Neptune and very close to its star. It was discovered recently thanks to NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) space telescope. Two iREx researchers, Professors Björn Benneke…

  • 2021 Trottier Excellence Grants for Summer Interns

    The Institute for Research on Exoplanets (iREx), affiliated with the Department of Physics of the Université de Montréal (UdeM), is calling for applications from undergraduate students to the 2021 Trottier Excellence Grants for Summer Interns. Apply here:…

  • 2020 Grandes conférences de l’iREx – Finding an Alien Biosphere… on Venus?

    Extraterrestrial life… on Venus?? Join us for the 2020 Grande conference de l’iREx to learn all about the recent discovery of phosphine, a potential biosignature, in the atmosphere of Venus. The talk will take place online…

  • JWST Postdoctoral Fellowship (2021)

    The Institute for Research on Exoplanets (iREx), affiliated with the Department of Physics at the Université de Montréal, is seeking applications for a postdoctoral position to join the NIRISS instrument team for the James Webb Space…

  • Trottier Postdoctoral Fellowship (2021)

    The Institute for Research on Exoplanets (iREx), affiliated with the physics department of the University of Montreal (UdeM), invites applications for a postdoctoral fellowship in experimental, observational or theoretical astrophysics applied to the study of exoplanets….

  • First images for the NIRPS spectrograph

    The NIRPS spectrograph, whose design is led by a team from the Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic (OMM), the Centre d’optique photonique et laser (COPL) and the Institute for Research on Exoplanets (iREx), in association with engineers from the NRC Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics, obtained its very first images in August…

  • TESS completes its first mission

    NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) completed its first mission last July after two years of continuous sky observations. This telescope, which began its observations in July 2018, is, like its predecessor Kepler, quite the hunter…

  • René Doyon, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada

    The iREx is very pleased to announce that our Director, René Doyon, is now a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in the Academy of Sciences. The 2020 cohort of new members includes 87 individuals…

  • Lookback at our 2020 summer internships

    As we get ready for the start of a new academic year, we would like to take a moment to look back at the fantastic work done by our 8 exceptional summer interns! Learn more about the…

  • astroMIL 2020: “Together under the same sky”

    The fourth edition of our astronomy-themed event at the Université de Montréal’s MIL campus MIL was enjoyed from the comfort of our homes this year. The event took place on the evening of August 12th which…

  • New MSc/PhD positions for 2021

    The iREx invites students who would like to pursue a Master’s (M.Sc.) or a Doctorate (Ph.D.) in the field of exoplanets at the Université de Montréal or at one of the other home universities of iREx…

  • New launch date for Webb

    NASA and its international partners, the Canadian Space Agency and the European Space Agency, are now targeting October 31 2021 for the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope. This seven-month delay, added to the previous…

  • Citizen scientists help discover two bizarre brown dwarfs in the Milky Way

    Thanks to the help of citizen scientists, astronomers have confirmed the existence of two of the most unusual brown dwarfs in the Milky Way. Brown dwarfs form like stars, but are not massive enough to ignite…

  • Jonathan Gagné becomes the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium’s Scientific Advisor

    Jonathan Gagné, a former Banting and Trottier postdoctoral researcher at the Institute for Research on Exoplanets at the Université de Montréal, became a Scientific Advisor at Space for Life in May 2020, where he leads a…

  • Future space observatory named after NASA pioneer Nancy Grace Roman

    On May 20, NASA announced that the space telescope known as WFIRST (Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope) will be renamed to highlight the contributions to astrophysics made by Nancy Grace Roman. The Nancy Grace Roman Space…

  • Discovering an exoplanet the size of Neptune

    Astrophysicists detect the orb hidden in the dust and gas debris around the young star AU Microscopii An exoplanet the size of Neptune has been discovered around the young star AU Microscopii, thanks in part to…

  • Event : “La petite école de l’espace”

    On July 11th, at 10:00AM, the Institute for Research on Exoplanets invites kids from 3 to 8 years old to “La petite école de l’espace” (in French). During this online event, astrophysicists Frédérique Baron and Marie-Eve…

  • Our statement on racial injustice

    The mission of our Institute is not only of a scientific nature, but also of a human nature. Current events related to police brutality and systemic racism taking place in the United States, Canada and elsewhere…

  • SPIRou at La preuve par l’image

    An image submitted by Étienne Artigau, a researcher from iREx, was selected by the jury of the contest La preuve par l’image of the Association francophone pour le savoir (Acfas) to be among the twenty finalist…

  • My master thesis in 400 words : Jonathan Chan

    Jonathan Chan, an iREx student at Université de Montréal, finished his master degree in 2020. Here, he summarizes the research project he carried out during his studies: The TRAPPIST-1 system presents us with a unique opportunity…

  • iREx and COVID-19

    The iREx is following the recommendations of the government and the Université de Montréal to limit the spread of COVID-19. As such, all in-person activities conducted by the iREx are cancelled until further notice. The Astronomer…

  • Meet our 2020 Summer Interns

    The iREx team is very pleased to present our 2020 summer interns! They will be joining us in early May and will be working on a variety of projects with our researchers until late August. Due to…

  • A second moon for the Earth?

    On February 15, 2020, a team of astrophysicists uncovered a small, fast-moving object on the detector of the 1.5m telescope at the summit of Mount Lemmon, Arizona. The telescope is part of a group of three…

  • Iron Rain on WASP-76b

    A team of researchers led by David Ehrenreich of the Observatoire astronomique de l’Université de Genève has discovered iron rain on the exoplanet WAPS-76b. An article published in March 2020 in the journal Nature presented the…

  • CASCA Awards 2020

    The Institute for Research on Exoplanets is proud to announce that René Doyon, Director of iREx and Professor at the Université de Montréal, is the recipient of the Canadian Astronomical Society’s Dunlap Award for Innovation in…

  • iREx wins inaugural FRQ DIALOGUE Award

    We are very pleased to announce that the iREx has been selected for a DIALOGUE – Researcher Award from the Fonds de recherche du Québec! The DIALOGUE – Researcher program is designed to encourage Quebec researchers…

  • JWST Call for Proposals Announced

    With the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) still planned for the year 2021, the call for telescope time proposals for Cycle 1 of the mission has just been announced. Thanks to its contribution…

  • The End of the Spitzer Space Telescope

    The Spitzer Space Telescope’s mission ended on January 30, 2020, after scanning the Universe in the infrared for over 16 years. The discoveries made by this telescope have led to a better understanding of our Universe,…

  • A second planet in the closest extrasolar system to our Sun?

    A study published in Science magazine in January 2020 and led by Mario Damasso, an astrophysicist from INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Torino in Italy, claims to have discovered a second low-mass planet around Proxima Centauri. Proxima Centauri…

  • A Lookback on TESS’s First Year

    NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) completed its first year of scientific observations between July 2018 and July 2019. More than 1100 candidate exoplanets in the vicinity of the Sun were discovered in the southern sky…

  • “Astronomer for a Night” Contest at the OMM – 2020 Edition

    **Due to COVID-19, this contest is suspended until further notice** Are you a high school student in the province of Quebec? The Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic, the Institute for Research on Exoplanets and the ASTROLab invite you to…

  • Astronomer in Your Classroom – 24h of Science

    **Due to COVID-19, Astronomer in Your Classrom has been cancelled. **   The Institute for Research on Exoplanets, in collaboration with the Centre de recherche en astrophysique du Québec (CRAQ), is organizing the “Astronomer in Your…

  • Maunakea Graduate School | June 2-13 2020

    Submit applications here by January 20th 2020. The Institute for Research on Exoplanets (iREx) is proud to announce the 2020 competition for the Maunakea Graduate School in Astronomy (MKGS). The MKGS presents an opportunity for six graduate students in…

  • My master thesis in 400 words : Dominic Couture

    Dominic Couture, an iREx student at Université de Montréal, finished his master degree in 2019. Here, he summarizes the research project he carried out during his studies:   Young moving groups (YMG) are associations of stars,…

  • A star has left us

    On November 1, Gilles Fontaine, professor in the Départment de physique at the Université de Montréal and a member of the Institut for research on exoplanets, passed away. Gilles Fontaine was a specialist in the study…

  • Ingredients for life on Titan with Sarah Hörst

    The Institute for Research on Exoplanets was pleased to welcome Sarah Hörst on October 16th for the  Grande conférence de l’iREx 2019. During the evening, over 150 people were able to travel to Titan, Saturn’s largest…

  • Transit of Mercury

    On November 11th 2019, the planet Mercury will pass in front of the Sun from the point of view of Earth. This phenomenon, called the transit of Mercury, is akin to the transit of exoplanets in…

  • 2020 JWST Postdoctoral Fellowship

    The Institute for Research on Exoplanets (iREx), affiliated with the Department of Physics at the Université de Montréal, is seeking applications for a postdoctoral position to join the NIRISS instrument team for the James Webb Space…

  • 2020 Trottier Excellence Grants for Summer Interns iREx

    The Institute for Research on Exoplanets (iREx), affiliated with the Department of Physics of the Université de Montréal (UdeM), is calling for applications from undergraduate students to the 2020 Trottier Excellence Grants for Summer Interns. The summer…

  • Trottier Postdoctoral Fellowship at iREx (2020) in Exoplanetary Astrophysics

    The Institute for Research on Exoplanets (iREx), affiliated with the physics department of the University of Montreal (UdeM), invites applications for a postdoctoral fellowship in experimental, observational or theoretical astrophysics applied to the study of exoplanets….

  • Les grandes conférences de l’iREx – Dr Sarah Hörst

    The Institute for Research on Exoplanets invite you to the public lecture: Titan : 
Ingredients for Life by Sarah Hörst, assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University. Prof. Hörst is an expert on the formation and composition of…

  • Water detected on an exoplanet located in its star’s habitable zone

    An international study lead by Université de Montréal astronomer Björn Benneke has detected water vapour on the planet K2-18b; this represents a major discovery in the search of alien life. Ever since the discovery of the…

  • A lookback on the 2019 iREx summer internships

    As we get ready for the start of the new academic year, we would like to take a moment to look back at the fantastic work done by our 14 exceptional summer interns: a record number…

  • JWST completely assembled for the first time

    After being tested separately, the two halves of the James Webb Space Telescope have finally come together into a single piece for the first time since the project started. Engineers from Northrop Grumman in Redondo Beach,…

  • A Moon-themed day at the MIL campus

    The third edition of the astronomy-themed day at the campus MIL took place on July 21st. Titled astroMIL: the Moon, 50 years later, the event attracted over 700 people from 1 to 11pm and aimed to…

  • The iREx welcomes Eve Lee, new professor at McGill University

    Eve Lee, a specialist in the formation of planetary systems, joins McGill University’s Department of Physics and the McGill Space Institute as an Assistant Professor and becomes a regular member of iREx. She received her B.Sc….

  • The dark side of extrasolar planets share surprisingly similar temperatures

    A new study by McGill University astronomers has found that the temperature on the nightsides of different hot Jupiters is surprisingly uniform, suggesting the dark side of these massive gaseous planets have clouds made of minerals and rocks. Using data from the Spitzer Space and the Hubble Space telescopes, the researchers from the McGill Space Institute found that…

  • iREx astronomers determine Earth’s fingerprint in hopes of finding habitable planets beyond the Solar System

    Two iREx astronomers have assembled a “fingerprint” for Earth, which could be used to identify a planet beyond our Solar System capable of supporting life. McGill Physics student Evelyn Macdonald and her supervisor Prof. Nicolas Cowan…

  • New M.Sc./Ph.D. Positions in Exoplanetary Science for 2020

    We are happy to announce new M.Sc./Ph.D. positions in exoplanetary science at the Institute for Research on Exoplanets (iREx) at the Université de Montréal or the other home institutions of iREx professors (McGill University, Bishop’s University),…

  • Probing a new class of exoplanets

    An international team led by UdeM astronomer gets a clearer picture of what is likely the most abundant type of planet in the Universe. It was a daunting task that took five years and the accumulation…

  • astroMIL: the Moon, 50 years later

    The Institute for Research on Exoplanets and the Université de Montréal invite you to discover the new MIL Campus during this cosmic party that will be commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission and…

  • 9th edition of the Maunakea Graduate School

    Five Canadian graduate students had the chance to attend the Maunakea Graduate School (MKGS), which took place between April 2nd and 13th. Under the supervision of professional astronomers, the students were able to design scientific programs…

  • 24h of science : Astronomers visit elementary schools

    As part of the 24h de sciences, the Institute for Research on Exoplanets, in collaboration with the Centre for Research in Astrophysics of Quebec (CRAQ), proposed the activity “An Astronomer in your Classroom”. During the week…

  • Inaugural Sureau Bursary awarded

    2019 Sureau Fellow We are proud to announce that the first ever iREx Sureau Bursary has been awarded to Ariane Deslières, an undergraduate student at the University of Ottawa. Ariane, who was selected amongst a pool…

  • 2019 International Day of Astronomy

    Come and join the iREx and many other cosmic partners at the 2019 International Day of Astronomy organized by the Rio Tinto Alcan Montreal Planetarium and the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC). This event will…

  • Astronomy on Tap – MTL (in French) – May 28th at 7:00PM

    Astronomy on Tap – MTL  in French will take place at Pub l’Île Noire, on May 28th, 7:00PM. Don’t miss it! Your speakers: Mohamad Ali-Dib, postdoctoral researcher at the Université de Montréal Anne Boucher, Ph.D. student at…

  • Jason Rowe wins the 2019 Emerging Scholar Award at Bishop’s University

    Bishop’s University just announced that iREx member Prof. Jason Rowe has been awarded the 2019 Emerging Scholar award. The Emerging Scholar awards recognise outstanding researchers and creators whose work has made a significant impact on their disciplines…

  • An Astronomer in Your Classroom – 24h of Science

    The Institute for Research on Exoplanets, in collaboration with the Centre de recherche en astrophysique du Québec (CRAQ), is organizing the “An Astronomer in Your Classroom” activity within the framework of 24h of science. “An Astronomer…

  • JWST Completes Critical Milestones in February 2019

    The month of February 2019 saw the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) successfully pass a series of tests meant to simulate the extreme conditions of a rocket launch into space. These tests were especially important, as…

  • TESS, the Planet Hunter

    The hunt for exoplanets continues! The number of discovered exoplanets has now reached over 4000, yet there are many more waiting to be unveiled. TESS, a NASA mission, will probe the stars closest to the Sun…

  • Meet our 2019 Summer Interns

    The iREx team is very pleased to present our 2019 summer interns! They will be joining us in early May and will be working on a variety of projects with our researchers until late August. Simon…

  • Nicolas Cowan awarded CASCA’s 2019 Harvey B. Richer Gold Medal

    Nicolas Cowan, professor at McGill University and member of iREx, is the recipient of the 2019 Harvey B. Richer Gold Medal. This Canadian Astronomical Society (CASCA) medal is awarded every two years in recognition of major contributions by a…

  • Astronomy on Tap – MTL (in French) – March 26th at 7:00PM

    Astronomy on Tap – MTL  in French will take place at Pub l’Île Noire, on March 26th, 7:00PM. Don’t miss it! Your speakers: Émilie Parent, Ph.D. student at McGill University Annabelle Richard-Laferrière, M.Sc. student at the Université…

  • Too much sodium turns a star blue

    An international team of astrophysicists, led by researchers from the Université de Montréal, has identified a star on which a sodium-rich asteroid has crashed, drastically transforming its apparent color. These results raise many questions about the…

  • All systems go for exo-Earth hunter SPIRou

    Nine months after capturing its first images from atop Maunakea in Hawaii, the scientific instrument SPIRou (SpectroPolarimètre InfraRouge) got the green light to begin its first scientific observation campaign at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT). The instrument was…

  • “Astronomer for a Night” Contest at the OMM – 2019 Edition

    Are you a high school student? The Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic, the Institute for Research on Exoplanets and the ASTROLab invite you to spend a night at the Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic’s telescope with astronomers who will introduce you to…

  • Rendez-vous with 2014 MU69

    Journey to Pluto It took nearly a decade for the New Horizons probe to reach its main target, Pluto, but it was certainly worth it! For the longest time, Pluto was a very mysterious world that…

  • Planet 9

    Since November 2018, the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium in Montreal has been showing “Planet 9”. This show describes the search for a ninth planet located on the outskirts of our Solar System by astrophysicist Mike Brown….

  • iREx at the AAS

    The American Astronomical Society holds two annual meetings where astronomers from around the globe get together. Their Winter Meeting, commonly called the “Super Bowl of Astronomy” welcomes upwards of 3,000 astronomers who want to talk about…

  • A super-Earth orbiting Barnard’s Star?

    A team of researchers lead by Ignasi Ribas (Institut de Ciencies de l’Espai en Espagne) has discovered a potential super-Earth exoplanet around Barnard’s Star, possibly making it the second closest exoplanet to our Solar System. Barnard’s…

  • Astronomy on Tap – MTL (in French) – January 29th at 7:00PM

    Astronomy on Tap – MTL  in French will take place at Pub l’Île Noire, on January 29th, 7:00PM. Don’t miss it! Your speakers: Cynthia Genest-Beaulieu, Ph.D. student at the Université de Montréal Carter Rhea, M.Sc. student at…

  • My thesis in 400 words: Frédérique Baron

    Frédérique Baron, an iREx Ph.D. candidate at the Université de Montréal, will submit her Ph.D. thesis in December 2018. Here, she summarises the research projects she carried out during her Ph.D. The numerous exoplanets discovered in…

  • The end of an era… and the beginning of another

    Launched in 2009, the Kepler Space Telescope revolutionised our view of exoplanets. Out of fuel, it was retired by NASA in late October 2018.    In 1992, a team lead by William Borucki submitted a proposal…

  • Travelling to alien worlds with Grande conférence speaker Michaël Gillon

    The Institute for Research on Exoplanets had the pleasure of hosting Dr. Michaël Gillon in late October as the 2018 Grande conférence speaker. On the evening of October 24th, nearly 200 audience members were taken on…

  • Special Screening of Sci-Fi Movie CLARA

    To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the first image ever taken of a real exoplanet system, HR 8799, the Institute for Research on Exoplanets (iREx) invites you to a FREE screening of the new sci-fi movie CLARA…

  • First Exomoon Candidate Discovered

    Detecting an exoplanet is often described as trying to spot a firefly passing in front of a lighthouse beam from hundreds of kilometres away. Astronomers are now on the cusp of being able to detect an…

  • Maunakea Graduate School | April 2-13 2019

    Submit applications here by December 15th 2018. The Maunakea Graduate School in Astronomy (MKGS) is proud to announce its 2019 competition. The MKGS presents an opportunity for six students pursuing graduate studies in astrophysics at a Canadian…

  • Trottier Postdoctoral Fellowship at iREx (2019) in astrophysics applied to the study of exoplanets

    The Institute for Research on Exoplanets (iREx), affiliated with the physics department of the University of Montreal (UdeM), invites applications for a postdoctoral fellowship in experimental, observational or theoretical astrophysics applied to the study of exoplanets….

  • Les grandes conférences de l’iREx – Dr Michaël Gillon

    The Institute for research on exoplanets invite you to the public lecture: La vie au-delà du système solaire: de la science-fiction à la science (in French) Life Beyond the Solar System: From Science Fiction to Science…

  • Nathalie Ouellette: the new iREx coordinator

    Everyone at iREx is happy to welcome Nathalie Ouellette, the new iREx coordinator. She succeeds Olivier Hernandez, who retired from the position last May to become director of the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium in Montreal. She…

  • 2019 Trottier Excellence Grants for Summer Interns iREx

    The Institute for Research on Exoplanets (iREx), affiliated with the Department of Physics of the Université de Montréal (UdeM), is calling for applications from undergraduate students to the 2019 Trottier Excellence Grants for Summer Interns. The summer…

  • Astronomy on Tap – MTL (in French) – October 30th at 7:00PM

    Astronomy on Tap – MTL  in French will take place at Pub l’Île Noire, on October 30th, 7:00PM. Don’t miss it! Your speakers: Nathalie Ouellette, Coordinator of iREx at Université de Montréal and Canadian Coordinator for the…

  • iREx invites you to the “Merveilles célestes” art exhibition

    The Merveilles célestes – Bettina Forget et Yann Pocreau exhibition presents the work of two artists following their research-creation residency created by the Centre d’exposition de l’Université de Montréal in collaboration with the Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic and the Institute for research on exoplanets….

  • New M.Sc./Ph.D. Positions in Exoplanetary Science for 2019

    We are happy to announce new M.Sc./Ph.D. positions in exoplanetary science at the Institute for Research on Exoplanets (iREx) at the Université de Montréal or the other home institutions of iREx professors (McGill University, Bishop’s University),…

  • Twice the size of Earth

    Young Canadian student at Université de Montréal discovers new exoplanet ideal for detailed characterization. Wolf 503b, an exoplanet twice the size of Earth, has been discovered by an international team using data from NASA’s Kepler Space…

  • Goodbye, iREx summer interns!

    The start of the school year brings about the end of an internship for twelve exceptional interns, including six Trottier fellows, that were working with us over the summer. The goals they have achieved are truly…

  • Canadian astronomy students perfect their skills in Hawaii

    End of May 2018, evenings were warm and humid on the Hawaii Big Island as the dust from the Kilauea volcano eruption a couple weeks earlier was still settling. Six Canadian students were about to take…

  • A Quebec view of the Universe at the Virage-campus MIL

    On August 11th was held the second edition of the Astronomy Day at the Virage-campus MIL at the Université de Montreal.  The event, entitled A Quebec view of the Universe, attracted more than 500 people between 3pm and…

  • Two prestigious fellowships for Jonathan Gagné, who has returned to Montreal

    Jonathan Gagné, who completed his Ph.D. at the Université de Montréal in 2015, is one of the Banting Postdoctoral Fellows from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) 2017-2018. Gagné also obtained a…

  • Marie-Eve Desrochers obtains the Relève étoile Louis-Berlinget prize of FRQNT

    Rémi Quirion, Quebec’s Chief Scientist, announces that Marie-Eve Desrochers, a MSc student and member of iREx, receives in August 2018 the Prix Relève Étoile du Fonds de recherche du Québec for her scientific article presenting the discovery of…

  • HiCIBaS, a stratospheric balloon borne telescope project for the direct imaging of exoplanets

    HiCIBaS, a stratospheric balloon borne telescope project from Université Laval led by Prof. Simon Thibault, associate member at iREx, will soon launch as part of CSA Strato-Science 2018 campaign. The main goal of HiCIBaS is to…

  • Funding for Mont-Mégantic Observatory secured for five years

    Ottawa and Quebec announce $4M in funding for the world-class observatory through 2023. With a shower of shooting stars expected in the coming days, the Mont-Mégantic Observatory has even more reason to celebrate: it has now…

  • An astronomy-themed day on MIL Campus – 11 August 2018

    To celebrate 40 years of astronomy at the Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic, a very special theme day – titled “Un oeil québécois sur l’Univers” (Quebec Looks at the Universe) – will be held on the MIL Campus of Université…

  • Gaia: a new era for astronomy

    Gai­­a second data release was published on the 25th of April 2018. Since then, astronomers at iREx and from all around the world have been hard at work, intently trying to uncover the secrets hidden in…

  • The year 2017-2018 in review at the first Annual Meeting of iREx

    On the 11th of April, 2018, members of iREx, as well as invited professors and members of administration of Université de Montréal, collaborators, and journalists attended the first ever Annual Meeting of iREx. During the meeting,…

  • 24 Hours of Science: Elementary School Visits and Webinar

    As part of the 24 Hours of Science, iREx proposed two activities for children and their educators. « Une astronome dans votre classe » On May 14 and 15 2018, Marie-Eve Naud, the iREx Scientific and…

  • Maunakea iREx Graduate School: a unique opportunity for Canadian students

    This year, iREx associated itself with the Maunakea Graduate School. This event will take place from the 29th of May to the 8th of June 2018 and is the product of a unique partnership between the…

  • Lisa Dang obtains the Relève étoile Louis-Berlinget prize of FRQNT

    Rémi Quirion, Quebec’s Chief Scientist, announces that Lisa Dang, a PhD student and member of iREx, receives in May 2018 the Prix Relève Étoile du Fonds de recherche du Québec for her scientific article presenting the detection of…

  • Contest: Win an observation night at Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic! – Edition 2018

    The contest is now closed! Thanks for your participation. The winners will be contacted via email on June 18th. Are you a high school student? The Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic and the Institute for research in exoplanets invite…

  • First light for SPIRou !

    After four months of hard work by engineers and scientists from France, Canada, Switzerland and Taiwan, and over a decade in the making, an important milestone has been reached for SPIRou, the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT)’s new…

  • Prix du recteur 2018 : Olivier Hernandez receives a special mention

    Olivier Hernandez, former iREx Coordinator and former Director of Operations for the Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic (OMM), received a mention Coup de coeur in the Inspiration category of the Prix du recteur. M. Hernandez is now Director of the Rio…

  • René Doyon receives a Killam Research Fellowship

      Astrophysicist René Doyon, professor at UdeM’s Department of Physics, director of the Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic and of the Institute for research on exoplanets, receives a Killam Research Fellowship from the Canada Council for the Arts.  An expert in…

  • TESS and iREx : a great synergy for exoplanetary system studies

    Wednesday the 18th of April at 18h51 saw the launch of the space satellite TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Sattelite) on board of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. TESS is the successor of the Kepler space telescope,…

  • Discovering the closest habitable worlds: the grand planet survey

    SPIRou’s long awaited large planet survey will be debuting soon. This program will extent for a period of three to five years at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope and will allow for the detection of planets orbiting 100…

  • Olivier Hernandez: the new director of the Planetarium Rio Tinto Alcan

    Olivier Hernandez, director of operations for the Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic and iREx coordinator, will start a new position as the director of the Planetarium Rio Tinto Alcan as of May 1st, 2018. M Hernandez had an important…

  • Our Trottier Summer Interns 2018

    iREx added six new researchers to their ranks in the summer of 2018 as the Trottier summer interns team up with iREx researchers to tackle various projects related to the detection and study of exoplanets throughout the…

  • My master thesis in 400 words: Jonathan St-Antoine

    Jonathan St-Antoine, an iREx student at Université de Montréal, finished his master degree in 2018. Here, he summarizes the principal research project he carried out  during his studies: In 2020, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)…

  • Astronomy on Tap – MTL (in French) – April 17th at 7:00PM

    Astronomy on Tap – MTL  in French will take place at Pub l’Île Noire, on April 17th, 7:00PM. Don’t miss it! Your speakers: Julie Bolduc-Duval, scientific communicator and director of Discover the Universe program. Nicolas Cowan, professor…

  • Elementary School Visits – 24 Hours of Science

    On May 14 and 15 2018, Marie-Eve Naud, the iREx Scientific and EPO coordinator and a specialist in exoplanets and the search for life in the Universe, will visite elementary schools. After discussing the basics of…

  • When do aging brown dwarfs sweep the clouds away?

    Brown dwarfs, the larger cousins of giant planets, undergo atmospheric changes from cloudy to cloudless as they age and cool. A team of astronomers led by Carnegie’s Jonathan Gagné measured for the first time the temperature…

  • Astronomy on Tap – MTL (in French) – February 27th at 7:00PM

    Astronomy on Tap – MTL  in French will take place at Pub l’Île Noire, on February 27th, 7:00PM. Don’t miss it! Your speakers: Lisa Dang, PhD student, McGill (advisor: Nicolas Cowan) Simon Blouin, PhD student, Université de…

  • iREx astronomers proud to participate to the CASCA-Westar program

    iREx astronomers Jason Rowe, Étienne Artigau and Marie-Eve Naud are proud to be Canadian Astronomical Society (CASCA) Westar speakers. This program allows Canadian communities who are far from major astronomy research poles to host a CASCA Westar Lecture – a visit by professional astronomer…

  • Jason Rowe newly appointed Canada Research Chair in Exoplanet Astrophysics

    Jason Rowe, a professor at Bishop’s University and researcher of iREx, was newly appointed as Canada Research Chair in Exoplanet Astrophysics. This honour comes with an award of $100,000 annually for a period of five years,…

  • My master thesis in 400 words: David Berardo

    David Berardo, an iREx student at McGill University, finished his master degree in August 2017. Here he summarizes the research projects he carried out during his MSc. Gas giant planets such as Jupiter are some of…

  • A ‘hot Jupiter’ with unusual winds

    Puzzling finding raises new questions about atmospheric physics of giant planets The hottest point on a gaseous planet near a distant star isn’t where astrophysicists expected it to be – a discovery that challenges scientists’ understanding…

  • Planets around Other Stars are like Peas in a Pod

    Montreal, QC — An international research team led by Institute for research on exoplanets astrophysicist Lauren Weiss has discovered that exoplanets orbiting the same star tend to have similar sizes and a regular orbital spacing. This…

  • Two Super-Earths around the red dwarf K2-18

    Researchers find exciting potential for little-known exoplanet – and discover another planet in the process New research using data collected by the European Southern Observatory (ESO) has revealed that a little-known exoplanet called K2-18b could well…

  • A New Spin to Solving Mystery of Stellar Companions

    Using new observations made at the Keck Observatory, an international team of researchers measured the spin rates of low-mass stellar companions in order to find new clues to their origin and figure out if they are planets…

  • Astronomy on Tap – MTL (in French) – December 12th at 7:00PM

    Astronomy on Tap – MTL  in French will take place at Pub l’Île Noire, on December 12th, 7:00PM. Don’t miss it! Your speakers: René Doyon, professor at Université de Montréal, director of iREx and of the Observatoire…

  • Journées d’initiation à la recherche en physique

    Researchers of iREx are happy to contribute to the Journées d’initiation à la recherche en physique, an event organized by the Department of Physics of the Université de Montréal. This free activity, intended for cegep students, will take…

  • News from 51 Eridani b

    This summer, an international team including several members of iREx has published a new study on the giant exoplanet 51 Eridani b. New observations made at the Gemini South Telescope and Keck Observatory provide a better…

  • My thesis in 400 words: Simon Coudé

    Simon Coudé, an iREx student at Université de Montréal, submitted his PhD thesis in August 2017. Here he summarizes the research projects he carried out during his PhD. In order to understand the origins of stars…

  • Meet six new graduate students of iREx

    Many new members are joining iREx in 2017-2018. Among them, five new MSc students and one new PhD student. Learn more about them and their research projects below: Simon-Gabriel Beauvais, who got his physics degree (coop…

  • René Doyon wins the Urgel-Archambault prize

    René Doyon is the recipient of the 2017 Prix Urgel Archambault of Association francophone pour le savoir (Acfas). Pr. Doyon, professor in the Department of Physics at Université de Montréal, has made his mark in the…

  • 2018 Trottier Excellence Grants for Summer Interns iREx

    The Institute for Research on Exoplanets (iREx), affiliated with the Department of Physics of the Université de Montréal (UdeM), is calling for applications from undergraduate students to the Trottier Excellence Grants for Summer Interns 2018. The summer…

  • Astronomy on Tap – MTL (in French) – October 24th at 7:00PM

    Astronomy on Tap – MTL  in French is back at Pub l’Île Noire, on October 24th, 7:00PM. Don’t miss it! Your speakers: Marie-Lou Gendron-Marsolais, PhD student, X-TRA Astrophysics Research Group Loïc Albert, Researcher, iREx The places are…

  • Three postdoctoral fellowships in astrophysics applied to the study of exoplanets at iREx/Université de Montréal

    The Institute for Research on Exoplanets (iREx), affiliated with the Department of Physics of the Université de Montréal (UdeM), invites applications for three (3) postdoctoral fellowships in astrophysics applied to the study of exoplanets. The Institute…

  • NASA’s Hubble Captures Blistering Pitch-Black Planet

    Alien world traps most of the visible light falling into its atmosphere NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has observed a planet outside our solar system that looks as black as fresh asphalt because it eats light rather…

  • New MSc/PhD Positions in Exoplanet Science

    We are happy to announce new MSc/PhD positions in exoplanet science at the Institute for Research on Exoplanets (iREx) at Université de Montréal or the other home institutions of iREx’s professors (McGill University, Bishop’s University), starting…

  • A journey to the new worlds

    On 12 August 2017, the Université de Montréal held its first “Voyage vers les nouveaux mondes,” a day filled with special astronomy-related activities on the campus MIL in Outremont. The event was an enormous success, attracting…

  • A very productive summer for the iREx interns

    The start of the fall semester marks the end of the summer internships. All our interns have made remarkable progress and have obtained interesting results! To learn more about their projects, what they learned this summer,…

  • Meet the new Trottier Postdoctoral Fellow of iREx

    Many new members joined iREx in September 2017. Among them, the new Trottier Postdoctoral Fellow, Neil Cook. Neil finished his PhD in the summer of 2016, at University of Hertfordshire, in UK. The main objective of…

  • ESO’s La Silla Observatory to Host New Planet Hunter

    A powerful new instrument called NIRPS (Near Infra Red Planet Searcher) is to be installed on the ESO 3.6-metre telescope at the La Silla Observatory in Chile.

  • Les grandes conférences de l’iREx – Dr Victoria Meadows

    The Institute for research on exoplanets invite you to the public lecture: NASA’s Search for Life Beyond the Solar System by Victoria Meadows, Professor of Astronomy and the Director of the Astrobiology Program at the University of…

  • Great success for the eclipse observation at Université de Montréal!

    Astronomers and students of  Centre de recherche en astrophysique du Québec (CRAQ) and of the Institute for research on exoplanets (iREx) welcomed nearly 1,000 people at UdeM to observe the great North American eclipse of the Sun…

  • 21 August 2017: See the Solar Eclipse at Université de Montréal

    A rare celestial event will take place on Monday, August 21 while the Sun, Moon and Earth will be aligned. The Moon will pass between the Sun and us and will mask the light of our…

  • Contest: Win an observation night at Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic!

    The contest is now closed! Thanks for your participation. The winners will be contacted via email on September 8th. Are you a high school student? The Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic and the Institute for research in exoplanets invite…

  • Scientists Solve the Mystery of Blinking Brown Dwarfs

    Dim objects called brown dwarfs, less massive than the Sun but more massive than Jupiter, have powerful winds and clouds — specifically, hot patchy clouds made of iron droplets and silicate dust. Scientists recently realized these…

  • iREx is proud to welcome Björn Benneke, new professor at Université de Montréal

    Björn Benneke, a world-leading expert on exoplanet’s atmospheres, becomes Assistant Professor at the Department of physics of Université de Montréal. He is arriving at Université de Montréal from Caltech where he completed a 4-year postdoctoral fellowship focused on exoplanet observation…

  • 12 August 2017: Event “À la découverte des nouveaux mondes” at Campus MIL

    The Institute for research on exoplanets (IREx) at Université de Montréal invites astronomy enthusiasts of all ages to a day of cosmic celebration on the campus MIL, on Saturday, August 12, from 3 pm to 11pm. During this…

  • Astronomy on Tap – MTL – July 25th at 7:30PM

    The next edition of Astronomy on Tap – MTL *** in English*** will take place July 25th at 7:30PM. Don’t miss it! July 25th, in English, at McLean’s Pub, 7:30PM Dancing with the stars – The Double Pulsar by Maxim…

  • Boyajian Star, an unresolved mystery

    Few stars have sparked the curiosity of astronomers and the general public as much as KIC 8462852. Commonly known as Tabby’s Star or Boyajian’s Star, in honor of the American astronomer, Tabetha S. Boyajian, this unique…

  • Jason Rowe, a new professor at Bishop’s University

    On July 1st, 2017, Jason Rowe has joined Bishop’s University, as Assistant Professor in the Physics & Astronomy Department. He has varied research interests related to the study of the properties, statistics and occurrence of exoplanets, and…

  • Over 50 participants at the CRAQ Summer School 2017

    From 12 to 14 June 2017, students and researchers of iREx participated to the Center for research in astrophysics of Quebec (CRAQ) Summer school. The school takes place every year with a new theme. It is…

  • Public Lecture by Ray Jayawardhana: “Rocks, Ice and Penguins”

    As part of the TEPS summer workshop, which takes place June 15-17 2017 at Université de Montréal, Professor Ray Jayawardhana, from York University presents Rocks, Ice and Penguins : Searching for Clues to Planetary Origins in Antarctica Thursday, June 15th 2017…

  • Two iREx researchers at the “Festival d’astronomie populaire” of Mont-Mégantic

    Two researchers of iREx will give conferences (in French) at the 2017 “Festival d’astronomie populaire du Mont-Mégantic”, that takes place at the ASTROLab of Parc National du Mont-Mégantic in July. René Doyon, the director of iREx and of…

  • New Branch in Family Tree of Exoplanets Discovered

     Since the mid-1990s, when the first planet around another sun-like star was discovered, astronomers have been amassing what is now a large collection of exoplanets—nearly 3,500 have been confirmed so far. In a new Caltech-led study,…

  • Jason Rowe awarded Doctoral Researcher Poster Prize at CASCA

    Jason Rowe was awarded the Doctoral Researcher Poster Prize, attributed by the graduate students to the best poster made by a researcher at the 2017 annual meeting of the Canadian Astronomical Society (CASCA), taking place May 30th to June…

  • “Voyage interstellaire vers les nouveaux mondes” at Festival Eurêka

    Marie-Eve Naud will present “Voyage interstellaire vers les nouveaux mondes” (in French), at Festival Eurêka, Friday, June 9th at 11AM. It’s free and open to all! Also, don’t miss astronomers from iREx and Center for Research in Astrophysics…

  • Astronomy on Tap – MTL – May 30th at 7:30PM

    The next edition of Astronomy on Tap – MTL *** in English*** will take place May 30 at 7:30PM. Don’t miss it! May 30th, in English, at McLean’s Pub, 7:30PM A Thirsty History of Dark matter by Lauren Weiss Taking…

  • Surprise! When a brown dwarf is actually a planetary mass object

    Sometimes a brown dwarf is actually a planet—or planet-like anyway. A team led by Carnegie’s Jonathan Gagné, and including researchers from the Institute for Research on Exoplanets (iREx) at Université de Montréal, University of California San…

  • New measurements of the WASP-47 System Point to a Puzzling Formation History

    A team led by iREx researcher Lauren Weiss combined measurements from the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii and the Kepler Space Telescope to study the four known planets around WASP-47, a solar-like star located 650…

  • Astronomy on Tap – MTL – Special edition for the 24 h de science

    Astronomy on Tap – MTL – Special edition for the 24 h de science. La science dans la science-fiction: nos astronomes passent en revue deux films culte, Interstellaire et Seul sur Mars ( in French) Don’t…

  • Pint of science Montreal 2017

    Two researchers associated with iREx participate this year to the even Pint of Science Canada in Montreal: Jonathan Gagné, postdoctoral researcher at Carnegie and former student at Université de Montréal, will present (in French) À la recherche…

  • Our Trottier Summer Interns 2017

    iREx will count 6 new researchers this summer. The Trottier summer interns will work from May to August with iREx researchers. These undergraduate students were selected among more than 20 applicants from all over Canada. To…

  • LHS 1140b, another world to study with the Webb Telescope

    An exoplanet a bit bigger and more massive than the Earth was just detected in the habitable zone of its parent star, which is located 41 light-years away. It was possible to measure both the mass…

  • David Lafrenière, recipient of the CASCA Harvey B. Richer Gold Medal

    David Lafrenière, professor at Université de Montréal and member of iREx, is the recipient of the Harvey B. Richer Gold Medal. This Canadian Astronomical Society (CASCA) medal is awarded every two years, and for the first time in…

  • Astronomy on Tap – MTL (in French) – April 25th at 7:00PM

    The second edition of Astronomy on Tap – MTL  in French will take place April 25th at 7:00PM. Don’t miss it! April 25th, in French, at Pub l’Île Noire, 7:00PM Chérie, j’ai réduit l’Univers! par Loïc Albert Les planètes TRAPPIST-1:…

  • Astronomy on Tap – MTL – March 28th at 7:30PM

    The second edition of Astronomy on Tap – MTL *** in English*** will take place March 28st at 7:30PM. Don’t miss it!   March 28st, in English, at McLean’s Pub, 7:30PM Planet Hunting 101 by David Berardo Looking for the…

  • Marie-Eve Naud, the new Scientific and EPO Coordinator of iREx

    In January 2017, iREx had the pleasure to welcome Marie-Eve Naud in his team. Marie-Eve is the new Scientific and Education Public Outreach (EPO) Coordinator of iREx. She just finished her PhD in astrophysics at Université de Montréal with René…

  • Hunting for giant planet analogs in our own backyard

    There may be a large number of undetected bright, substellar objects similar to giant exoplanets in our own solar neighborhood, according to new work from a team led by Carnegie’s Jonathan Gagné and including researchers from…

  • iREx Public Lecture by Lauren Weiss, PhD, on March 21th, 2017

    The Institute for research on exoplanets invite you to the Public Lecture: Stars with many planets by Lauren Weiss, Trottier Postdoctoral Fellow at iREx. Tuesday March 21 at 7:00PM, at Université de Montréal, Roger-Gaudry Building, P-310. The conference will be…

  • Want to learn more? Follow us!

    You want to learn more about exoplanets? About the Institute for research on exoplanets? About the progresses and discoveries our team is contributing to? Follow us! On Facebook On Twitter And subscribe to our newsletter, published every two…

  • Seven Earth-sized planets around the ultra-cool dwarf TRAPPIST-1

    About a year ago, the discovery of 3 Earth-sized planets orbiting the very cold star TRAPPIST-1 stirred excitement in the astronomical community. At a distance of forty light-years, this star is among our nearest celestial neighbours….

  • Massive comet-like object pollutes the atmosphere of a white dwarf

    Scientists have witnessed, for the first time, a massive, comet-like object being ripped apart and scattered in the atmosphere of a white dwarf, the burned-out remains of a sun-like star. The destroyed object had a chemical…

  • Astronomy on Tap – MTL – First French Edition

    The first edition of Astronomy on Tap – MTL *** in French*** will take place Feb 28st at 7:30PM. Don’t miss it! February 28st, in French, at Pub l’Île Noire, 7:30PM Étienne Artigau Simon Coudé Myriam Latulippe More…

  • First edition of Astronomy on Tap – MTL

    The first edition of Astronomy on Tap – MTL will take place Tuesday, Jan 31st at 7:30PM. Don’t miss it! January 31st, in English, at Pub McLean’s, 7:30PM Exploring our Galaxy, the Milky Way by Anna…

  • Three New MSc/PhD Positions in Exoplanet Science

    We are happy to announce three new MSc/PhD positions in exoplanet science at the Institute for Research on Exoplanets (iREx) at Université de Montréal. The three students will work in Professor Björn Benneke’s new group on…

  • Meet five new graduate students of iREx

    Many new members are joining iREx in 2016-2017. Among them, four new MSc students and one new PhD student. Learn more about their biography and their research projects below: Lisa Dang, who started a MSc in September…

  • CRAQ Summer School 2017 “Exoplanet Atmospheres”

    iREx is collaborating to organize this year’s edition of the Centre for Research in Astrophysics of Quebec (CRAQ) Summer School on Exoplanet Atmospheres. The school will take place June 12-14th, in Montreal. Instructors : René Doyon…

  • Patrick Dufour in Quebec Science Top 10 discoveries

    Patrick Dufour, professor at Université de Montréal and member of iREx, is in Quebec Science Top 10 discoveries of 2016 An international team that includes Patrick Dufour, a member of iREx, announced earlier this year the…

  • 2017 Trottier Excellence Grants for Summer Interns iREx – Application closed

    The institute for Research on Exoplanets (iREx), recently created at Université de Montréal, brings together professors, researchers and students specialized in the detection and characterization of exoplanets and low-mass objects, young stars and protoplanetary disks. They are engaged…

  • iREx Public Lecture: “Planètes errantes” on January 24th, 2017

    The Institute for research on exoplanets invite you to the Public Lecture: Planètes errantes (“Rogue Planets”) by Jonathan Gagné, Sagan Postdoctoral Fellow at Carnegie Institution for Sciences (Washington, DC) and a former student of iREx. Tuesday January 24 at…

  • Research associate position (JWST instrument scientist) in experimental astrophysics at the Université de Montréal

    This position is a joint appointment between the Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic (OMM) and iREx. OMM is actively involved in the development of astronomical instrumentation for ground- and space-based facilities. IREx brings together professors, researchers and students…

  • An international group of Astronomers in Montreal for the conference “Exploring the Universe with JWST-II”

    The second edition of the conference “Exploring the Universe with JWST” took place during the week of October 24-28. One hundred researchers from everywhere around the globe gathered at Université de Montréal to discuss the scientific programs…

  • Meet the new Trottier Postdoctoral Fellow of iREx

    Many new members joined iREx in September 2016. Among them, the new Trottier Postdoctoral Fellows, Lauren Weiss and Holly Sheets. Lauren Weiss just finished her PhD in the summer of 2016, at UC Berkeley, in California….

  • Trottier Postdoctoral Fellowship of iREx (2016) in astrophysics applied to the study of exoplanets

    The Institute for Research on Exoplanets (iREx), affiliated with the physics department of the University of Montreal (UdeM), invites applications for a postdoctoral fellowship in astrophysics applied to the study of exoplanets. The iREx consists of…

  • Les grandes conférences de l’iREx – October 26th, 2016

    The Institute for research on exoplanets, in collaboration with AstroMcGill and the Canadian Space Agency invite you to the Public Lecture How to find an inhabited planet by David Charbonneau from Harvard University Wednesday October 26 at…

  • Jonathan Gagné receives a Prix Acfas for his thesis on brown dwarfs

    Jonathan Gagné, a former student and a collaborator of iREx, receives one of the Acfas excellence awards 2016. This award, attributed by the Association des doyens des études supérieures au Québec (ADÉSAQ), recognize the best thesis…

  • New low-mass objects could help refine planetary evolution

    Montréal, QC — When a star is young, it is often still surrounded by a primordial rotating disk of gas and dust from which planets can form. Astronomers like to find such disks because they might be able…

  • Brown dwarfs hiding in plain sight in our solar neighborhood

    Washington, DC— Cool brown dwarfs are a hot topic in astronomy right now. Smaller than stars and bigger than giant planets, they hold promise for helping us understand both stellar evolution and planet formation.

  • Jason Rowe awarded NASA’s Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal for exoplanet research

  • TRAPPIST-1 – A new Earth 2.0?

    What do exoplanets and beer have in common? TRAPPIST. TRAPPIST is the name of an exoplanet survey that just announced the discovery of a stellar system containing three planets, each the size of the Earth.

  • Planet-Devouring Star Reveals Possible Limestone Crumbs

    A group of researchers using the W. M. Keck Observatory have discovered a planet-like body that may have been encrusted in limestone and is having its surface layers devoured by its deceased host star. In addition…

  • The Science Behind the Validation of 1 284 Transiting Extrasolar Planets

    On May 10, 2016 the Kepler team announced the validation of 1 284 planets which represents the largest haul of extrasolar planets in a single study.

  • A newborn giant planet flying close to its sun

    For the last 20 years, the giant planets known as hot Jupiters have presented astronomers with a puzzle. How did they get into orbits 100 times closer to their host stars than our own Jupiter is…

  • Les conférences de l’iREx – 20 septembre 2016

    Les conférences de l’Institut de recherche sur les exoplanètes (iREx) sont destinées à un public de tout âge et de tout niveau scientifique, intéressé à l’astronomie et l’étude des planètes. Atelier d’observation du ciel La conférence…

  • Discover iREx

    Discover our Institute through our 2016 trailer (in French).

  • 2016 Trottier Excellence recipients for Summer Interns

    The Institute for research on exoplanets is proud to annonce the recipients of the 2016 Trottier Excellence scholarships for Summer Interns.

  • Jonathan Gagné receives the 2016 Plaskett Medal

    The Canadian Astronomical Society (CASCA) and the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) awarded the J.S Plaskett Medal for 2016 to Jonathan Gagné for the best doctoral thesis in astrophysics in Canada. Jonathan Gagné completed his…

  • Les conférences de l’iREx – 17 mai 2016

    Les conférences de l’Institut de recherche sur les exoplanètes (iREx) sont destinées à un public de tout âge et de tout niveau scientifique, intéressé à l’astronomie et l’étude des planètes. Atelier d’observation du ciel La conférence…

  • Les conférences de l’iREx – 15 mars 2016

    Les conférences de l’Institut de recherche sur les exoplanètes (iREx) sont destinées à un public de tout âge et de tout niveau scientifique, intéressé à l’astronomie et l’étude des planètes. NOUVEAU! Atelier d’observation du ciel La conférence…

  • Exoplanet

    An exoplanet, or extrasolar planet, is an object orbiting another star than our Sun. If such definition seems deceptively simple, the current state of the research is driven by the search of a more refined and…

  • The Gemini Planet Imager celebrates one year of service

    Having started its activities in November 2014, the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) celebrates one year of observations and discoveries. Installed at the 8-meter Gemini South Observatory in Cerro Pachon (Chile), the instrument, a coronagraph/spectrograph, is specifically…

  • MIT’s Venus

    A team of researchers found the nearest rocky extrasolar planet from us. Although uninhabitable with a surface temperature of about 225 °C, the planet named GJ 1132b is already fascinating the astronomical community. Loïc Albert, researcher at the…

  • Kepler: Half of all discoveries may be false positives

    The Kepler space observatory fruitful results, which led to the discovery of about half of all known extrasolar planets to date, are being challenged. Out of 1,030 confirmed planetary candidates since the beginning of the first…

  • Les conférences de l’iREx – 19 janvier 2016

    Sommes-nous seuls dans l’Univers? (L’astrophysique en quête d’autres mondes habités) par François-René Lachapelle de l’Institut de recherche sur les exoplanètes (iREx) Mardi 19 janvier 2016 à 19h au E-310 Pavillon Roger Gaudry de l’Université de Montréal

  • 2016 Trottier Excellence Grants for Summer Interns iREx – Application closed

    The applications are now closed. Thanks for your interest.

  • Disintegrating Asteroid is Raining Dust Onto a White Dwarf Star

    Astronomers announced today that they have spotted a large, rocky object disintegrating in its death spiral around a distant white dwarf star. The discovery also confirms a long-standing theory behind the source of white dwarf “pollution”…

  • Trottier Postdoctoral Fellowship of iREx (2015) – Applications closed

    The applications are now closed. Thanks for your interest.

  • Trottier Foundation donates $1 million towards search for extraterrestrial life

    Université de Montréal researchers are determined to be the first to discover life elsewhere in the Universe, a goal backed by a $1 million in research grants donated by the Trottier Foundation. At the new Institute…

  • Professor in theoretical astrophysics applied to the study of exoplanets (2015) – Applications closed

    The applications are now closed. Thanks for your interest.

  • Hot Jupiters courting baby stars ?

    Although first detected 20 years ago, hot Jupiters are still enigmatic bodies. These celestial objects are giant Jupiter-like exoplanets that orbit 20 times closer to their host stars than the Earth does to the Sun. Using…

  • Astronomers discover “young Jupiter” exoplanet

    One of the best ways to learn how our solar system evolved is to look to younger star systems in the early stages of development. Now, a team of astronomers from the Institute of research on…

  • New Supercomputer Model Shows Planet Making Waves in Nearby Debris Disk

    A new supercomputer simulation of the planet and debris disk around the nearby star Beta Pictoris reveals that the planet’s motion drives spiral waves throughout the disk, a phenomenon that greatly enhances collisions among the orbiting…

  • Astronomers develop breakthrough optical component for detecting exoplanets close to their host stars

    Astronomers from Leiden University (the Netherlands) and the University of Arizona (USA) have successfully commissioned a new type of optic that can reveal the image of an exoplanet next to its parent star. The ‘vector Apodizing…

  • Lyot 2015 : Montreal is the Internationnal Capital City of Exoplanets this summer

    On June 22-26 this year, Montreal will host “In the Spirit of Lyot 2015“, an international conference on direct detection and characterization of exoplanets and circumstellar disks.

  • Research associate position (JWST instrument scientist) in experimental astrophysics (2015) – Applications closed

    The applications are now closed. Thanks for your interest.

  • 2015 Trottier Excellence Grants for Summer Interns iREx – Applications closed

    The applications are now closed. Thanks for your interest.

  • GU Psc b : in Québec Science top 10 discoveries of 2014

    Marie-Eve Naud, a PhD student at the institute for Research on Exoplanets (iREx) and Université de Montréal, is in Québec Science top 10 discoveries of 2014.

  • SPIRou : un SpectroPolarimètre Infra-Rouge pour découvrir de nouveaux mondes habitables et étudier la naissance des étoiles et des planètes

  • Odd planet, so far from its star…

    An international team led by Université de Montréal researchers has discovered and photographed a new planet 155 light years from our solar system. A gas giant has been added to the short list of exoplanets discovered…

  • Two planets hotter than lava

    Two planets lighter than the Earth! Gilles Fontaine, a professor at the University of Montreal, describes two planets discovered in the course of his research. These two planets, comparable in size to the Earth, are orbiting…

  • CFBDSIR 2149, a lonely planet

    A wandering planet, that is a planet not in orbit around a star, was discovered by a team of researchers from the Université de Montréal and their European colleagues, using data from the Canada-France-Hawaii telescope (CFHT)…

  • After the Canadarm, the Canadeyes for the future Webb Telescope

      Cutting-edge Canadian space technology directed by Université de Montréal’s René Doyon Two instruments whose development was led by by the University of Montreal’s Professor René Doyon, known by the acronyms NIRISS and FGS, will be…

  • World’s Most Powerful Planet Finder Turns its Eye to the Sky

    After nearly a decade of development, construction, and testing, the world’s most advanced instrument for directly imaging and analyzing planets around other stars is pointing skyward and collecting light from distant worlds. The instrument, called the…

  • Discovery of a new planetary system

    Article originally published in December 2008 One planet is good, 3 planets is a crowd! A team of Canadian, American and British researchers photographed for the 1st time a distant planetary system similar to our Solar…

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