It is well known that thermocapillary convection arises in liquid bridges when the support discs are heated differentially and uniformly. Upon increasing the temperature difference, the convective flow shows a transition from an axisymmetric to an oscillatory regime. This phenomenon has been investigated both experimentally and theoretically, but prior experimental results exhibit some discrepancies with respect to the predictions of stability analyses. The present paper discusses experimental results obtained under microgravity conditions, comparing them with previous experimental observations made on ground and in space and with recent theoretical models of the instability. The results agree with the description of oscillations in terms of superposition of hydrothermal waves. Finally, a possible mechanism for a “pulsating” instability is proposed, together with a new scaling law for the oscillation frequencies at onset; this law, which correlates the critical frequency to the fluid properties, the geometrical parameters and the critical temperature difference, agrees with all the available experimental data. ©1998 American Institute of Physics.