Observatory of the sciences of the universe (OSU) Earth man environment time astronomy (THETA) of Franche-Comté – Bourgogne

UMS 3245

The OSU THETA is a research federation whose specificity is to also provide observation services. It federates research in earth and universe sciences. It is also a place of culture which conceals all the history of the astronomy of Besançon and the measurement of time.
It ensures the continuity and the durability of the collection of scientific data on the long term, thanks to dedicated personnel. From astrophysics to the monitoring of animal populations and seismology, many observational sciences are concerned.
With its experience developed in the field of astronomy, thanks to its strong involvement in the virtual observatory, a unique internet portal that allows access to an enormous amount of data of all types, the OSU THETA extends this methodology to other fields such as ecology. Its observation services also concern the measurement of time and frequency or the evolution of the peatlands.
Regarding its research federation aspect, the OSU THETA plays a role in the financial and administrative management of inter-laboratory scientific projects thanks to the service unit it has set up. Among these transverse projects there are works on environmental contamination involving both physicists, chemists, biologists and geologists. Astrophysicists, physical chemists and climatologists are working together on studies of clathrates: “water cages” present at the bottom of the oceans, in the earth’s subsoil and also in certain planetary atmospheres. Other studies concern for example karst basins or seismology in Franche-Comté.

The OSU THETA federates several research units: the UTINAM Institute, the chrono-environment laboratory, the Time-Frequency department of the FEMTO-ST Institute, the Biogeosciences laboratory of the Université de Bourgogne as well as the Molecular Spectroscopy, Collisional Processes and Applications team of the Carnot interdisciplinary laboratory of Bourgogne.