This is the ESOcast!
Cutting-edge science and life behind the scenes
at ESO, the European Southern Observatory.
ESO's La Silla observatory sits high above the breathtaking wilderness of the Atacama Desert
La Silla is the site of several large optical telescopes with mirrors up to 3.6 metres in diameter
It is one of the most scientifically productive observatories in the world
The Atacama Desert has the darkest skies in the world with over 300 clear nights per year
La Silla is home to the ESO 3.6-metre telescope
This telescope is equipped with HARPS –the world's foremost exoplanet hunter
La Silla was home to SEST– the first submillimetre wavelength telescope in the south
TAROT is a fast-moving robotic telescope used to monitor Gamma Ray Bursts
The 2.2-metre MPG/ESO telescope has a field of view the size of the full moon
The starlight from the Milky Way is so bright that it casts a shadow on the ground
The New Technology Telescope was the first in the world to have a computer controlled main mirror
La Silla continues to remain at the forefront of astronomical research
ESOcast is produced by ESO, the European Southern Observatory
ESO, the European Southern Observatory
Is the pre-eminent intergovernmental science and technology organisation in astronomy.
Among both ground and space-based observatories, ESO is the most productive observatory in the world.
Transcription by Phillip Keane; translation by –