ESO

European
Southern
Observatory

The dwarf galaxy IC 1613

eso1603 — Photo Release

The Milky Way’s Clean and Tidy Galactic Neighbour

Many galaxies are chock-full of dust, while others have occasional dark streaks of opaque cosmic soot swirling in amongst their gas and stars. However, the subject of this new image, snapped with the OmegaCAM camera on ESO’s VLT Survey Telescope in Chile, is unusual — the small galaxy, named IC 1613, is a veritable clean freak! IC 1613 contains very little cosmic dust, allowing astronomers to explore its contents with great clarity. This is not just a matter of appearances; the galaxy’s cleanliness is vital to our understanding of the Universe around us.

Artist's impression of the galaxy W2246-0526

eso1602 — Science Release

The Turbulent Birth of a Quasar

The most luminous galaxy known in the Universe — the quasar W2246-0526, seen when the Universe was less than 10% of its current age — is so turbulent that it is in the process of ejecting its entire supply of star-forming gas, according to new observations with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA).

GRAVITY discovers new double star in Orion Trapezium Cluster

eso1601 — Organisation Release

First Light For Future Black Hole Probe

Zooming in on black holes is the main mission for the newly installed instrument GRAVITY at ESO’s Very Large Telescope in Chile. During its first observations, GRAVITY successfully combined starlight using all four Auxiliary Telescopes. The large team of European astronomers and engineers, led by the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Garching, who designed and built GRAVITY, are thrilled with the performance. During these initial tests, the instrument has already achieved a number of notable firsts. This is the most powerful VLT Interferometer instrument yet installed.

Artist’s impression of a transitional disc around a young star

eso1549 — Science Release

ALMA Reveals Planetary Construction Sites

Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have found the clearest indications yet that planets with masses several times that of Jupiter have recently formed in the discs of gas and dust around four young stars. Measurements of the gas around the stars also provide additional clues about the properties of those planets.

X-ray image of the XXL-South Field

eso1548 — Science Release

XXL Hunt for Galaxy Clusters

ESO telescopes have provided an international team of astronomers with the gift of the third dimension in a plus-sized hunt for the largest gravitationally bound structures in the Universe — galaxy clusters. Observations by the VLT and the NTT complement those from other observatories across the globe and in space as part of the XXL survey — one of the largest ever such quests for clusters.

The surroundings of the interacting galaxy NGC 5291

eso1547 — Photo Release

VLT Revisits a Curious Cosmic Collision

The spectacular aftermath of a 360 million year old cosmic collision is revealed in great detail in new images from ESO’s Very Large Telescope at the Paranal Observatory. Among the debris is a rare and mysterious young dwarf galaxy. This galaxy is providing astronomers with an excellent opportunity to learn more about similar galaxies that are expected to be common in the early Universe, but are normally too faint and distant to be observed by current telescopes.

VLT image of the surroundings of VY Canis Majoris seen with SPHERE

eso1546 — Science Release

Aging Star’s Weight Loss Secret Revealed

A team of astronomers using ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) has captured the most detailed images ever of the hypergiant star VY Canis Majoris. These observations show how the unexpectedly large size of the particles of dust surrounding the star enable it to lose an enormous amount of mass as it begins to die. This process, understood now for the first time, is necessary to prepare such gigantic stars to meet explosive demises as supernovae.

Massive galaxies discovered in the early Universe

eso1545 — Science Release

The Birth of Monsters

ESO’s VISTA survey telescope has spied a horde of previously hidden massive galaxies that existed when the Universe was in its infancy. By discovering and studying more of these galaxies than ever before, astronomers have, for the first time, found out exactly when such monster galaxies first appeared.

Artist’s impression of the glowing disc of material around the white dwarf SDSS J1228+1040

eso1544 — Science Release

The Glowing Halo of a Zombie Star

The remains of a fatal interaction between a dead star and its asteroid supper have been studied in detail for the first time by an international team of astronomers using the Very Large Telescope at ESO’s Paranal Observatory in Chile. This gives a glimpse of the far-future fate of the Solar System.

New APEX instrument for finding water in the Universe

eso1543 — Organisation Release

First Observations from SEPIA

A new instrument attached to the 12-metre Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) telescope at 5000 metres above sea level in the Chilean Andes is opening up a previously unexplored window on the Universe. The Swedish–ESO PI receiver for APEX (SEPIA) will detect the faint signals from water and other molecules within the Milky Way, other nearby galaxies and the early Universe.

European
Southern
Observatory

ESOcast 80: Follow a Live Planet Hunt

15 Jan. 2016 — ann16003

ESOcast 80: Follow a Live Planet Hunt!

15 Jan. 2016 — ann16002

Follow a Live Planet Hunt!

7 Jan. 2016 — ann16001

Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2016 Competition Dates

ESO and CERN sign cooperation agreement

18 Dec. 2015 — ann15098

ESO and CERN Sign Cooperation Agreement

ALMA Trilateral Agreement Signed

18 Dec. 2015 — ann15097

ALMA Trilateral Agreement Signed

Cover of The Messenger No. 162

18 Dec. 2015 — ann15096

The Messenger No. 162 Now Available

Banner of the new Space Scoop webpage

16 Dec. 2015 — ann15095

New Space Scoop Website Launched

Ireland to Explore Possibility of Joining ESO

10 Dec. 2015 — ann15094

Ireland to Explore Possibility of Joining ESO

Agreement signed for E-ELT MAORY adaptive optics system

10 Dec. 2015 — ann15093

Agreement Signed for E-ELT MAORY Adaptive Optics System

ESOcast 79: 20 Years of Exoplanets

8 Dec. 2015 — ann15092

ESOcast 79: 20 Years of Exoplanets

Sebastiaan Haffert wins De Zeeuw–Van Dishoeck Graduation Prize for Astronomy

1 Dec. 2015 — ann15091

De Zeeuw–Van Dishoeck Graduation Prize Awarded to Sebastiaan Haffert

The cover of Science in School Issue 34

30 Nov. 2015 — ann15090

Science in School: Issue 34 now available

One of the units of the Four Laser Guide Star Facility for the VLT

27 Nov. 2015 — ann15089

Laser Guide Star Units Accepted and Shipped to Chile

The past, present and future appearances of the Refsdal supernova

25 Nov. 2015 — ann15088

MUSE Observations Enable Prediction of Once-in-a-lifetime Supernova Replay

ALMA expands its power into global interferometry

10 Nov. 2015 — ann15087

ALMA Links with Other Observatories to Create Earth-sized Virtual Telescope

Photo Nightscape Awards 2015

10 Nov. 2015 — ann15086

Winners of Photo Nightscape Award 2015 Announced

GROND image of the gamma-ray burst GRB 151027B

6 Nov. 2015 — ann15085

ESO Telescopes Observe Swift Satellite’s 1000th Gamma-ray Burst

Screenshot of ESOcast 78

4 Nov. 2015 — ann15084

ESOcast 78: Airglow Mystery

Ceremony Marks Excellent Progress With ESO Supernova Construction

29 Oct. 2015 — ann15083

Ceremony Marks Excellent Progress in Constructing ESO Supernova

Music for a Dying Star

27 Oct. 2015 — ann15082

Listen to the Music of a Dying Star

Ars Electronica Center in Linz, Austria

21 Oct. 2015 — ann15081

ESO Art & Science Residency Applications Open

ESO Astronomy Camp 2015

19 Oct. 2015 — ann15080

Winners of Third ESO Astronomy Camp Bursaries Announced

Screenshot of ESOcast 77

7 Oct. 2015 — ann15079

ESOcast 77: Mysterious Ripples Found Racing Through Planet-forming Disc

Early Morning on Paranal*

6 Oct. 2015 — ann15078

Astronomy Week at the Chilean ExpoMilan Pavilion

ALMA Exhibition Opens in Santiago

5 Oct. 2015 — ann15077

ALMA Exhibition Opens in Santiago

10 000th Free Image Uploaded to the ESO Image Archive

2 Oct. 2015 — ann15076

10 000th Free Image Published in the ESO Image Archive

Cover of CAPjournal issue 18

30 Sept. 2015 — ann15075

CAPjournal Issue 18 Now Available

Rock Star and Astrophysicist Brian May Visits Paranal

30 Sept. 2015 — ann15074

Rock Star and Astrophysicist Brian May Visits Paranal

Agreement Signed for METIS Instrument for E-ELT

28 Sept. 2015 — ann15073

Agreement Signed for METIS Instrument for E-ELT

2015 European Union Contest for Young Scientists

25 Sept. 2015 — ann15072

Winners of the 2015 European Union Contest for Young Scientists Announced

Screenshot of ESOcast 76

25 Sept. 2015 — ann15071

ESOcast 76: A Polarised View of Stellar Magnetism

Agreement signed to build HARMONI spectrograph for the E-ELT

23 Sept. 2015 — ann15070

Agreement Signed for E-ELT HARMONI Instrument

Cover of The Messenger No. 161

22 Sept. 2015 — ann15069

The Messenger No. 161 Now Available

MICADO agreement signed

18 Sept. 2015 — ann15068

Agreement Signed for MICADO Camera for E-ELT

Map of Chile showing location of the earthquake of 16 September 2015

17 Sept. 2015 — ann15067

Earthquake in Chile: No Casualties or Damage at ESO Sites

17 Sept. 2015 — ann15066

Science in School: Issue 33 now available

ALMA Residencia webcams

11 Sept. 2015 — ann15065

Live Webcams at the ALMA Residencia

ESO and ESA Directors General sign cooperation agreement

24 Aug. 2015 — ann15064

ESO and ESA Directors General Sign Cooperation Agreement

The cover of the 2016 ESO Calendar

20 Aug. 2015 — ann15063

ESO Calendar 2016 Now Available

Screenshot of ESOcast 75

20 Aug. 2015 — ann15062

ESOcast 75: ESO’s Top 10 Discoveries

GRAVITY: A powerful new probe of black holes

11 Aug. 2015 — ann15061

Powerful New Black Hole Probe Arrives at Paranal

Poland ratifies ESO membership and becomes fifteenth Member State

5 Aug. 2015 — ann15060

Poland Ratifies ESO Membership

Band 5 ALMA receiver

17 July 2015 — ann15059

ALMA Greatly Improves Capacity to Search for Water in Universe

The site of the future Cherenkov Telescope Array

16 July 2015 — ann15058

Paranal Observatory First Choice to Host World’s Largest Array of Gamma-ray Telescopes

Cover of Science in School 32 — Summer 2015

10 July 2015 — ann15057

Science in School: Issue 32 now available

The First E-ELT Instruments

10 July 2015 — ann15056

First Instruments for E-ELT Approved

ESO signs contract with Reosc for E-ELT M4 shell mirrors

8 July 2015 — ann15055

ESO Signs Contract for Deformable Shell Mirrors for E-ELT

7 July 2015 — ann15054

Catch a Star 2015 Contest Winners Announced

Cover of The Messenger No. 160

7 July 2015 — ann15053

The Messenger No. 160 Now Available

Cover of the ALMA radioastronomy manual

6 July 2015 — ann15052

ALMA Material for Teachers

A strong showing at Paranal

3 July 2015 — ann15051

Chilean Industry Day in Antofagasta

Cover of CAPjournal issue 17

30 June 2015 — ann15050

CAPjournal Issue 17 Now Available

The 2013 ESO Industry Day in Warsaw, Poland

29 June 2015 — ann15049

Invitation to Polish Industry Day in Warsaw

Art exhibit at ALMA

26 June 2015 — ann15048

Artistic Apparition at ALMA

Professor Michel Mayor, winner of the 2015 Kyoto Prize

25 June 2015 — ann15047

Astrophysicist Michel Mayor Receives Kyoto Prize

Open House Day 2014

22 June 2015 — ann15046

Programme for The Long Night of Science 2015 Available

Contract signed for final design and construction of largest adaptive mirror unit in the world

19 June 2015 — ann15045

Contract Signed for Final Design and Construction of Largest Adaptive Mirror Unit in the World

Cover of the Annual Report 2014

16 June 2015 — ann15044

ESO Annual Report 2014 Now Available

AstroCamera astrophotography competition

15 June 2015 — ann15043

AstroCamera 2015 Winners Announced

RAPID: A High-speed Infrared Detector

15 June 2015 — ann15042

Revolutionary New High-speed Infrared Detector Sees First Light

The MUSE instrument on the VLT: equipped with 24 continuous flow cooling systems

9 June 2015 — ann15041

ESO Signs Technology Transfer Licence Agreement for Cooling System

"From Earth to the Universe" Movie Poster

9 June 2015 — ann15040

First Free Downloadable Planetarium Show

Screenshot of the Chilean President Michelle Bachelet video conference with Paranal Observatory from Expo Milano 2015

8 June 2015 — ann15039

ESO at Expo Milano 2015

ESO Astronomy Camp 2015

25 May 2015 — ann15038

Third ESO Astronomy Camp for Secondary School Students

Laser frequency comb installed on HARPS

22 May 2015 — ann15037

HARPS Laser Frequency Comb Commissioned

Open House Day 2015

20 May 2015 — ann15036

Open House at ESO for the Long Night of Science

Breakdown of ALMA Cycle 3 proposals by category

8 May 2015 — ann15035

ALMA Cycle 3 Call for Proposals Attracts Record Number of Proposals

First light of new laser on Adaptive Optics Facility at Paranal

8 May 2015 — ann15034

First Light of New Laser at Paranal

ESO’s Director General meets EAO Directors

4 May 2015 — ann15033

ESO and East Asian Observatory Meet for First Time

Screenshot of ESOcast 74

30 April 2015 — ann15032

ESOcast 74: Mapping the Southern Skies

Julien Milli, first recipient of the Olivier Chesneau Prize

29 April 2015 — ann15031

2015 Olivier Chesneau Prize Awarded to Julien Milli

The Moon sets over Paranal

27 April 2015 — ann15030

Funding Opportunities in Chile (Anuncio de Oportunidades)

ALMA image of the gravitationally lensed galaxy SDP.81.

7 April 2015 — ann15028

ALMA at Full Stretch Yields Spectacular Images

Donor of the Planetarium and Visitor centre presents

31 March 2015 — ann15029

Klaus Tschira, 1940–2015

360-degree panorama of the ESO Headquarters

27 March 2015 — ann15027

Spanish Industry Day at ESO

26 March 2015 — ann15026

ESO Now Delivers Videos and Fulldome Material Faster

Extreme weather at ALMA 27.2.2015

25 March 2015 — ann15025

Storm Affecting the North-Central Chile

Cover of The Messenger No. 159

24 March 2015 — ann15024

The Messenger No. 159 Now Available

Girls' Day Event at ESO Headquarters in 2014

19 March 2015 — ann15023

Girls’ Day Event at ESO Headquarters in Garching, Germany

Screenshot of ESOcast 73

19 March 2015 — ann15022

ESOcast 73 — Your ESO Pictures

Artist María Ignacia Edwards in her studio

17 March 2015 — ann15021

Winner of ESO Art & Science Residency Announced

The ALMA Operations Support Facility

17 March 2015 — ann15020

ALMA Opens For Public Visits

Cover of Science in School 31 — Spring 2015

13 March 2015 — ann15019

Science in School: Issue 31 now available

The constellation of Cassiopeia over a thunderstorm

11 March 2015 — ann15018

Astrocamera 2015 Competition Open for Entries

Photo Nightscape Awards 2015

6 March 2015 — ann15017

Win a Trip to Paranal with the Photo Nightscape Awards 2015

Information event at the Garching Forschungscampus

6 March 2015 — ann15016

Discover the ESO Supernova

ALMA Performs Its First Very Long Baseline Observations

5 March 2015 — ann15015

ALMA Performs Its First Very Long Baseline Observations

Number of papers published using observational data from different observatories

5 March 2015 — ann15014

ESO Remains World’s Most Productive Ground-based Observatory

Unveiling ceremony for plaque commemorating the signing of the Leiden Statement

4 March 2015 — ann15013

Plaque Commemorating Leiden Statement Unveiled

MUSE goes beyond Hubble in the Hubble Deep Field South

26 Feb. 2015 — ann15012

ESOcast 72: Looking Deeply into the Universe in 3D

Artist’s impression of ESO Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Centre

24 Feb. 2015 — ann15011

Groundbreaking Ceremony for ESO Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Centre

Testing laser guide star systems on Tenerife

10 Feb. 2015 — ann15010

First Light for Laser Guide Star Technology Collaboration

ESO’s Facebook page welcomes its 100 000th friend

10 Feb. 2015 — ann15009

Thank You, 100 000 Facebook Friends!

The Gum 15 star formation region

4 Feb. 2015 — ann15008

Teacher Training on Stellar Evolution

Louise Mayor wins the 2014 European Astronomy Journalism Prize

2 Feb. 2015 — ann15007

2014 European Astronomy Journalism Prize Winner Announced

The new planetarium and visitor centre at ESO Headquarters

26 Jan. 2015 — ann15006

Media Advisory: Groundbreaking Ceremony for the ESO Supernova

New High-speed Fibre Optic Data Link to ALMA

20 Jan. 2015 — ann15005

New High-speed Fibre Optic Data Link to ALMA

ALMA Residencia: General View of the Array of Buildings

16 Jan. 2015 — ann15004

ALMA Residencia Construction to Start

E-ELT primary mirror prototype segment support systems

16 Jan. 2015 — ann15003

ESO Awards Contracts for E-ELT Primary Mirror Segment Support System Units

Screenshot of ESOcast 71

14 Jan. 2015 — ann15002

ESOcast 71: New Exoplanet-hunting Telescopes on Paranal

360-degree panorama of the ESO Headquarters

9 Jan. 2015 — ann15001

ESO Hosts Workshop on Public Awareness of Research Infrastructures

Cover of The Messenger No. 158

15 Dec. 2014 — ann14093

The Messenger No. 158 Now Available

Cover of CAPjournal issue 16

4 Dec. 2014 — ann14092

CAPjournal Issue 16 Now Available

Artist’s impression of the European Extremely Large Telescope

4 Dec. 2014 — ann14091

ESOcast 70 — Green Light for E-ELT Construction

Connect with ESO in your language

1 Dec. 2014 — ann14090

Connect with ESO in your Language

28 Nov. 2014 — ann14089

Catch a Star 2015 Contest Now Open

Journey to the Centre of the Milky Way

26 Nov. 2014 — ann14088

Journey to the Centre of the Milky Way

Tim de Zeeuw receives honorary degree from University of Padova

25 Nov. 2014 — ann14087

Tim de Zeeuw Receives Honorary Degree

Ulrike Kuchner and astronomical spectra

18 Nov. 2014 — ann14086

Astronomical Art in Santiago

ESO Astronomy Camp 2014 — Measuring the Universe

14 Nov. 2014 — ann14085

Winners of Second ESO Astronomy Camp Bursaries Announced

Members of the teams that won the 2015 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics

11 Nov. 2014 — ann14084

ESO Staff Share 2015 Breakthrough Prize

Screenshot of ESOcast 69

6 Nov. 2014 — ann14083

ESOcast 69: Revolutionary ALMA Image Reveals Planetary Genesis

Screenshot of ESOcast 68

24 Oct. 2014 — ann14082

ESOcast 68: ESO Opens its Doors

Cover of ESO Calendar 2015

24 Oct. 2014 — ann14081

ESO Calendar 2015 Now Available

Screenshot of the new homepage

21 Oct. 2014 — ann14080

ESO Web Pages Redesigned

The winning entry of the 2014 Photo Nightscape Award

16 Oct. 2014 — ann14079

Winners of Photo Nightscape Award 2014 Announced

Olivier Chesneau Prize established

16 Oct. 2014 — ann14078

Olivier Chesneau Prize Established

Cover of Science in School 30 — Autumn 2014

14 Oct. 2014 — ann14077

Science in School: Issue 30 now available

Cover of The Messenger No. 157

9 Oct. 2014 — ann14076

The Messenger No. 157 Now Available

ESO Headquarters

8 Oct. 2014 — ann14075

Tools, best practices and methodologies for Technology Transfer

Reopening ceremony for ESO exhibition A Window to the Universe

8 Oct. 2014 — ann14074

ESO Exhibition A Window to the Universe Reopened in Antofagasta

Open House Day 2014

7 Oct. 2014 — ann14073

Programme: Open House Day 2014

15 January 2016 — esocast80a

ESOcast 80: Follow a Live Planet Hunt

Picture of the Week

An Often Ignored Beauty

1 February 2016 — potw1605

An Often Ignored Beauty

Our Nearest Star System Observed Live

25 January 2016 — potw1604

Our Nearest Star System Observed Live

ESO Telescopes Spy a Rare Relic

18 January 2016 — potw1603

ESO Telescopes Spy a Rare Relic

Three Pillars of Astronomy

11 January 2016 — potw1602

Three Pillars of Astronomy

The Guanacos of Atacama

4 January 2016 — potw1601

The Guanacos of Atacama

The Ascent of Man

28 December 2015 — potw1552

The Ascent of Man

Season’s Greetings from the European Southern Observatory!

21 December 2015 — potw1551

Season’s Greetings from the European Southern Observatory!

A Planetary Nebula Divided

14 December 2015 — potw1550

A Planetary Nebula Divided

A Galactic view from the Observation Deck

7 December 2015 — potw1549

A Galactic view from the Observation Deck

Starbirth over ALMA

30 November 2015 — potw1548

Starbirth over ALMA

Highlights

Portal to the Universe

Faster videos and fulldome materials

ESOShop

The Very Large Telescope Snaps a Stellar Nursery and Celebrates Fifteen Years of Operations

The Very Large Telescope Snaps a Stellar Nursery and Celebrates Fifteen Years of Operations

Thor’s Helmet Nebula imaged on the occasion of ESO’s 50th Anniversary

Thor’s Helmet Nebula imaged on the occasion of ESO’s 50th Anniversary

VLT looks into The Eyes of the Virgin

VLT looks into The Eyes of the Virgin

VISTA's infrared view of the Orion Nebula*

VISTA's infrared view of the Orion Nebula*

A 340-million pixel starscape from Paranal

A 340-million pixel starscape from Paranal

The Helix Nebula*

The Helix Nebula*

The Centre of the Milky Way*

The Centre of the Milky Way*

The Horsehead Nebula*

The Horsehead Nebula*

Early Morning on Paranal*

Early Morning on Paranal*

ALMA and the centre of the Milky Way

ALMA and the centre of the Milky Way

The Carina Nebula imaged by the VLT Survey Telescope

The Carina Nebula imaged by the VLT Survey Telescope

A deep look at the strange galaxy Centaurus A

A deep look at the strange galaxy Centaurus A

ESO’s VLT reveals the Carina Nebula's hidden secrets

ESO’s VLT reveals the Carina Nebula's hidden secrets

VST image of the giant globular cluster Omega Centauri*

VST image of the giant globular cluster Omega Centauri*

VST image of the star-forming region Messier 17

VST image of the star-forming region Messier 17

Messier 78: a reflection nebula in Orion

Messier 78: a reflection nebula in Orion

2M1207b - First image of an exoplanet

2M1207b - First image of an exoplanet

The hidden fires of the Flame Nebula*

The hidden fires of the Flame Nebula*

Rare 360-degree Panorama of the Southern Sky*

Rare 360-degree Panorama of the Southern Sky*

The Milky Way panorama

The Milky Way panorama

The World’s Biggest Eye on the Sky

In search of our Cosmic Origins

The world’s most advanced visible-light astronomical observatory

ESO’s first observatory

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