In July 2010
About the InstituteThe Institute, which has existed since 1957 under the name Max Planck Institute for Aeronomy, has seen a number of transformations in its lifetime. During the 50's and 60's, the scientific emphasis was on the exploration of the Earth's upper atmosphere, but in the following decades this was extended to include new areas involving the solar system. The current thrust of research now concentrates on the exploration of the Sun, Heliosphere, planets, and comets, that is, on all the essential parts of the solar system. In order to more accurately reflect the Institute's current activities, the Institute changed the name, since 1st July 2004, to "Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research".