Solar astrophysics (and more) in Locarno

In collaboration with Istituto ricerche solari Aldo e Cele Daccò (IRSOL), the Swiss Virtual Institute for Solar Science (SVISS) is organising the first Swiss workshop dedicated to the European Solar Telescope (EST) in Locarno on 8 and 9 October 2025. The event aims to outline the state of solar research in Switzerland and prepare national participation in this flagship infrastructure project.

The Sun is the source of energy for the Earth, and understanding it is crucial for astrophysics, plasma physics and climatology. Solar phenomena are decisive for our planet and for human civilisation, with potentially destructive consequences in the case of geomagnetic storms. The EST, a 4.2-metre telescope, will be equipped with several  spectropolarimeters and will study the fundamental processes of magnetised plasma and solar variability, improving our ability to predict space weather and its impact on our planet. EST will be built on the La Palma Island, in the Canary Islands.

Switzerland has a long and prestigious tradition in solar physics, which began in the 19th century in Zurich with the study of the solar activity cycle, now conducted at the Specola Solare Ticinese as part of an international collaboration, and continued with innovative technologies such as IRSOL's ZIMPOL polarimeter, which has deepened our understanding of solar magnetism, increasing our ability to predict the most dangerous solar events.

The growing appreciation of the importance of solar physics for astrophysics, fundamental particle and plasma physics, Earth and climate science, and technology protection from space weather has led to strengthening Swiss solar research through new professorships in solar physics at ETHZ (2019), USI (2022) and UNIBE (2023), and emerging new synergetic research groups at other universities. Furthermore, consolidation of solar research in Switzerland has led to the recommendation for Swiss participation in EST endorsed by the SCNAT Astronomy Community Roadmap (updated in 2024).

In short, Locarno is the ideal place to take stock of scientific and technological research on the Sun, particularly with the future EST, which will provide the national scientific community with access to a state-of-the-art instrument to address future scientific and social challenges related to the Sun.

At the end of the workshop and on Friday 10 September, also in Locarno and organised by IRSOL, the annual meeting of the Swiss Society for Astronomy and Astrophysics (SSAA) will be held, during which seminars will be presented on a wide range of topics, from solar physics to supermassive black holes.