Didier Queloz

Didier Queloz is a renowned Swiss astrophysicist, known for his pioneering work in exoplanet detection. Queloz was trained at the University of Geneva, where he obtained his PhD under the supervision of Michel Mayor.

In 1995, while working on their doctoral thesis, Queloz and Mayor made a groundbreaking discovery: they detected the first exoplanet orbiting a solar-type star, 51 Pegasi b. This finding marked a milestone in astronomy, confirming that planets outside our solar system were common and opening up a new field of research.

The discovery of 51 Pegasi b was made using the radial velocity method, which measures variations in a star's velocity caused by the gravitational influence of an orbiting planet. This groundbreaking work earned Queloz, along with Michel Mayor, the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics.

After his discovery, Queloz continued his career in academia and research. He has worked at the University of Geneva and the University of Cambridge, where he has continued to contribute significantly to the study of exoplanets and the search for extraterrestrial life.

He has also participated in the development of advanced instruments for exoplanet detection, such as the HARPS spectrograph.

Queloz has received numerous awards and accolades for his work, including the Balzan Prize in 2017. His research has transformed our understanding of the universe and inspired a new generation of astronomers to explore beyond our solar system.

Didier Queloz remains an influential figure in modern astronomy, driving the exploration of exoplanets and the search for life in the cosmos.