High Angular Resolution Science with Next-Generation Optical-Infrared Capabilities at ESO

High Angular Resolution Science with

Next-Generation Optical-Infrared Capabilities at ESO

Exploiting MAVIS and ELT instruments in the 2030s

ESO Garching, 1-4 September 2026

 

Science Rationale

The coming decade will mark a transformative era for high–angular resolution astronomy. With the arrival of the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) and its first‐generation instruments - MICADO, HARMONI, and their AO component MORFEO - together with the next generation of high-sky-coverage adaptive-optics facilities in the optical on the VLT, such as MAVIS, the astronomical community will, for the first time, routinely access spatial resolutions of ~40 mas across the optical and infrared domains, with high sensitivity and diverse spectral and imaging capabilities. This unprecedented development will open new parameter spaces for exploring the formation and evolution of stars, planets, and galaxies, as well as probing the physics of compact objects and the distant Universe.

This international conference at ESO aims to bring together the diverse scientific communities developing and preparing to exploit these instruments. Although each facility has unique strengths - MAVIS pushing diffraction-limited performance into the visible on an 8-m telescope, and the ELT instruments delivering unmatched infrared sensitivity and resolution on a 39-m aperture - their science cases are deeply complementary. By fostering dialogue among the MAVIS, MICADO, HARMONI, MORFEO, and wider VLT/ELT communities, the meeting will provide a platform to:

  • Explore the scientific landscape of high spatial resolution astronomy in the 2030s, identifying the key questions that can be addressed through high-Strehl optical and infrared imaging and spectroscopy, comparing and contrasting the capabilities of upcoming instruments, and highlighting the unique niches and overlapping regimes of VLT and ELT facilities.
  • Identify synergistic multiwavelength programmes that combine optical and infrared observations at similar diffraction-limited resolution in an unprecedented wavelength range, and strengthen cross-instrument collaborations, facilitating the development of joint surveys, preparatory studies, simulation frameworks, and data-analysis pipelines that will maximise scientific return from both observatories.
  • Prepare the community for early science, ensuring that teams are equipped to design ambitious observing programs that fully leverage the potential of diffraction-limited performance.

By uniting instrument teams, science working groups, and the broader user community, the conference will help shape the strategic vision for high-angular resolution optical/IR astronomy in the 2030s. It will serve as a catalyst for collaborative projects that turn the combined power of VLT and ELT into a coherent, world-leading program for understanding the Universe at the smallest accessible angular scales.

 

The workshop will take place at the ESO Headquarters in Garching (Germany) from September 1 to 4, 2026.

 

Conference email: mavis2026@eso.org


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