Come along to the Long Night of Science on 6 June from 5 pm to midnight
Make your own batteries: Exciting experiments await our guests of all ages. © HZB
A great atmosphere: we look forward to seeing you! © HZB
What does light reveal about materials? How are new medicines developed? And just how cold is liquid nitrogen? During the Long Night of Science, we’re opening our doors and inviting visitors on a journey of discovery through the world of research.
Highlights at HZB
How does a particle accelerator work – and what can be studied with it?
A highlight is the tour of the BESSY II X-ray source. There, you’ll experience first-hand how our researchers use brilliant X-ray light to examine materials, batteries and biological structures. You will learn how electrons race through the storage ring at nearly the speed of light and how this coveted light for research is produced.
Hands-on experiments
Visitors can grow protein crystals or extract the DNA from a tomato. Experience exciting experiments with liquid nitrogen and learn why a vacuum is indispensable for us. Join us as we make chocolate with tiny structures that shimmer in rainbow colours. In the school laboratory, you’ll explore materials with mysterious properties.
Discovering the energy of the future
How can batteries in the future store more energy, charge faster and become more sustainable? How can new solar cells be brought to market more quickly? We are not only developing more efficient solar materials and technologies, but also collaborating with industry partners.
Find out what possibilities the planned BESSY III X-ray source will offer and how carbon dioxide can be used as a raw material with the help of electrochemical processes.
Tickets
Tickets are available online only and can be purchased here.
Adlershof is the perfect place for you. A varied programme awaits you at many venues here. Here is an overview of what’s on offer at the site.
- Thank you for a fantastic Long Night of Science!On 6 June 2026, we opened our doors once again for the Long Night of Science. With 3,100 visitors, BESSY II welcomed 500 more people than last time. We would like to thank everyone for their interest! We captured the best moments of the evening in the photo gallery.
- VOLT – Art in the shell of the HZB from 19 to 21 June 2026An extraordinary setting: from 19 to 21 June, artists and students from the Berlin University of the Arts will be exhibiting in the shell of the services building on the HZB campus in Berlin-Adlershof. The public is warmly invited to attend the three-day exhibition.
- Magnetic field during catalyst synthesis triples ammonia yieldApplying an external magnetic field during the synthesis of CoFe₂O₄ electrocatalysts triples the ammonia yield during electrocatalytic conversion. The magnetic field alters the surface states of the spinel oxide thin films, making catalytically active sites more accessible. In the journal 'Advanced Functional Materials', a team led by Marcel Risch at HZB and Sanjay Mathur at University of Cologne demonstrates a scalable strategy for developing next-generation electrocatalysts for efficient and sustainable chemical production.