ESO Top News

The Helix in New Colours

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0100

ESO’s VISTA telescope, at the Paranal Observatory in Chile, has captured a striking new image of the Helix Nebula. This picture, taken in infrared light, reveals strands of cold nebular gas that are invisible in images taken in visible light, as well as bringing to light a rich background of stars and galaxies.

Planet Population is Plentiful

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:00:00 +0100

An international team, including three astronomers from the European Southern Observatory (ESO), has used the technique of gravitational microlensing to measure how common planets are in the Milky Way. After a six-year search that surveyed millions of stars, the team concludes that planets around stars are the rule rather than the exception. The results will appear in the journal Nature on 12 January 2012.

El Gordo — A “Fat” Distant Galaxy Cluster

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:00:00 +0100

An extremely hot, massive young galaxy cluster — the largest ever seen in the distant Universe — has been studied by an international team using ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) in the Atacama Desert in Chile along with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Atacama Cosmology Telescope. The new results are being announced on 10 January 2012 at the 219th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Austin, Texas.

ESO Celebrates 50 Years of Reaching New Heights in Astronomy

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0100

The year 2012 marks the 50th anniversary of the European Southern Observatory (ESO), the foremost intergovernmental astronomy organisation in the world. The anniversary year is an opportunity to look back at ESO’s history, celebrate its scientific and technological achievements and look forward to its next ambitious programmes. ESO is planning several exciting activities during the year.

The Smoky Pink Core of the Omega Nebula

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0100

A new image of the Omega Nebula, captured by ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT), is one of the sharpest of this object ever taken from the ground. It shows the dusty, rose-coloured central parts of this famous stellar nursery and reveals extraordinary detail in the cosmic landscape of gas clouds, dust and newborn stars.

Christmas Comet Lovejoy Captured at Paranal

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 17:00:00 +0100

The recently discovered Comet Lovejoy has been captured in stunning photos and time-lapse video taken from ESO’s Paranal Observatory in Chile. The comet graced the southern sky after it had unexpectedly survived a close encounter with the Sun.

A Galaxy Blooming with New Stars

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 12:00:00 +0100

The VLT Survey Telescope (VST) has captured the beauty of the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 253. The new portrait is probably the most detailed wide-field view of this object and its surroundings ever taken. It demonstrates that the VST, the newest telescope at ESO's Paranal Observatory, provides broad views of the sky while also offering impressive image sharpness.

A Black Hole's Dinner is Fast Approaching

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 19:00:00 +0100

Astronomers using ESO’s Very Large Telescope have discovered a gas cloud with several times the mass of the Earth accelerating fast towards the black hole at the centre of the Milky Way. This is the first time ever that the approach of such a doomed cloud to a supermassive black hole has been observed. The results will be published in the 5 January 2012 issue of the journal Nature.

The E-ELT Moves Closer to Reality

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 14:00:00 +0100

The governing body of the European Southern Observatory, the ESO Council, has approved ESO’s budget for 2012. This includes preparatory work on the road to the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) site at Cerro Armazones and the start of development of some very challenging optical components for the telescope. With several ESO Member States now having committed their part of the required additional funding, the final approval for the whole E-ELT programme is expected in mid-2012.

Prince Philippe of Belgium Leads Industrial Delegation Visiting ESO Sites in Chile

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:00:00 +0100

The heir apparent to the throne of Belgium visited ESO’s Paranal Observatory, accompanied by a business delegation exploring future opportunities for European industry within the context of ESO’s European Extremely Large Telescope project.