The Long Night of Research 2026 at three GeoSphere sites in Vienna, Klosterneuburg and Salzburg

Diverse and exciting – that’s how GeoSphere Austria will be presenting itself as part of the Long Night of Research on 24 April 2026. From 5 pm to 11 pm this year, three research sites will be opening their doors to visitors of all ages.

In Vienna’s 3^rd district, just a few minutes’ walk from the city centre, lies the heart of geology, geophysics and geomagnetism. In short: whatever lies beneath our feet – the 110 or so researchers at GeoSphere Austria’s Neulinggasse site – unlike their colleagues in meteorology – get to the bottom of the Earth’s inner secrets. During the Long Night of Research, they’ll let you look over their shoulders as they work. The guided tours with the ‘walking encyclopaedia’ Thomas Hoffmann, who has an answer to practically every question, promise to be particularly exciting. There will also be numerous hands-on stations where visitors can identify fossils and examine rocks under a microscope, measure greenhouse gases, ‘taste’ water and get to the bottom of how earthquakes form.

This year, the GeoSphere regional office in Salzburg is also hosting a Long Night of Research. Five stations will focus entirely on meteorology. For example, they will explore whether pollen is still present at the Sonnblick Observatory, situated at an altitude of 3,106 metres. Or what the weather in Salzburg will be like in 2050. Or how weather forecasts are generally produced and what role satellites play in this.

What moves the Earth? The Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) in Klosterneuburg is attempting to answer this question. The focus, however, is not only on seismology, but on many other scientific topics. These range from spectacular chemistry experiments and the study of the tiniest organisms (cells) to a journey through time across the universe. Rainbow liquid towers, music in the animal world – a varied programme of hands-on activities is on offer, especially for children.

Time for new discoveries: The Long Night of Research promises excitement for young people and those a little older.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)