Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez have jointly been awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics for their work on the supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A*, at the centre of our galaxy. The detection of phosphine could point to such extra-terrestrial “aerial” life. In 2015 it expected to contain around 70% of the global infrastructure by 2020. The European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT) has taken the first ever image of a young, Sun-like star accompanied by two giant exoplanets. Genzel, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Germany, and his team have conducted observations of Sagittarius A* for nearly 30 years using a fleet of instruments on European Southern Observatory (ESO) telescopes. A Cosmic Mystery: ESO Telescope Captures the Disappearance of a Massive Star, Using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), astronomers have discovered the absence of an unstable massive star in a dwarf galaxy. Using telescopes from the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and other organisations around the world, astronomers have spotted a rare blast of light from a star being ripped apart by a supermassive black hole. This planetary nebula is the first known to be associated with a pair of closely bound stars orbited by a third outer star. Download the 3D models of the telescopes and see them in Google earth (kmz file, 4.8MB), TRAnsiting Planets and PlanetesImals Small Telescope–South, Télescope à Action Rapide pour les Objets Transitoires, Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy, Subscribe to receive news from ESO in your language, Journalists, science writers and producers, please see, Tourist, students and lay people, please see. The observations can help astronomers understand how planets formed and evolved around our own Sun. It is also surprisingly unchaotic, contradicting theories that all galaxies in the early Universe were turbulent and unstable. By continuing to use this website, you are giving consent to our use of cookies. Due to te precautionary measures taken by the observatory to prevent the spread of COVID-19, protect its staff, and operations, all public visits, including educational, institutional, and media visits to the observatory, are suspended until further notice. It hosts several world-class telescopes; among them are the Very Large Telescope, the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy, and the VLT Survey Telescope. Pierre Léna, 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, A 340-million pixel starscape from Paranal, A deep infrared view of the Orion Nebula from HAWK-I, The Carina Nebula imaged by the VLT Survey Telescope, A deep look at the strange galaxy Centaurus A, ESO’s VLT reveals the Carina Nebula's hidden secrets, VST image of the giant globular cluster Omega Centauri*, VST image of the star-forming region Messier 17, TRAnsiting Planets and PlanetesImals Small Telescope–South, Télescope à Action Rapide pour les Objets Transitoires, Medidas adoptadas por ESO ante el coronavirus COVID-19, Subscribe to receive news from ESO in your language. ESOcast 132: Why Astronomers Want to Use ALMA — We are Stardust! European Southern Observatory, ESO) ist ein europäisches Forschungsinstitut, das Teleskope in Chile betreibt. For more information on how ESO uses data and how you can disable cookies, please view our privacy policy. Scientists think this could indicate that the star became less bright and partially obscured by dust. 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics awarded for research with ESO telescopes on Milky Way's supermassive black hole. ESO telescope spots galaxies trapped in the web of a supermassive black hole. New Observations Show Planet-forming Disc Torn Apart by its Three Central Stars. An international team of astronomers today announced the discovery of a rare molecule — phosphine — in the clouds of Venus. The results were made possible thanks to observations with the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT) and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). “If true,” says team leader and PhD student Andrew Allan of Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, “this would be the first direct detection of such a monster star ending its life in this manner.”, Design achievements for actuators and sensors of the main mirror of ESO's ELT, Newly processed Venus ALMA data made available to the community, Contract signed for the ELT’s second prefocal station as design for the first close to approval, New planetarium show: Unseen Universe — look at the sky with superhuman eyes, Science operations restarted at Paranal following pause due to the pandemic, Winners of Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2020 announced, New Report Offers Roadmap to Mitigate Effects of Satellite Constellations on Astronomy, Winner of Summer AstroCamp 2020 ESO Prize Announced, Take Part in the New Virtual Guided Tours to ESO’s Observatories, Funding Opportunities in Chile (Anuncio de Oportunidades), ESOcast 222: Ten Fascinating Paradoxes about the Universe, The Most Productive Ground-based Observatory: A Look Back at ESO’s Science Results of 2019, Summer AstroCamp 2020 applications open soon, Milestones Reached in Incredible Journey of ELT Main Mirror Segments, ESO signs agreement with UN Women, celebrates International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Girls’ Day Event at ESO Headquarters in Garching, Germany, Science in School: Issue 49 now available, ESO at the Big Science Business Forum 2020, ESO helps European company win major international contract, ELT MICADO Instrument Passes Preliminary Design Review, 2020 Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year Competition Opens, The Planets 360: a musical tour of the Solar System, Satellite Constellations and their Impact on Astronomy, Contract Signed for ELT’s Mirror M5 Cell Structure, A winter special: Enlightening Time Travel, Solar plant to supply energy to ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope, Science in School: Issue 48 now available, Enjoy each day of 2020 with the ESO Calendar, ESOcast 209: Outreach and Science During the Total Solar Eclipse at La Silla, ESO Astronomer Awarded a European Research Council Synergy Grant, ProChile Holds Innovation Summit at ESO Supernova in ESO’s Headquarters, Germany, 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics Awarded for Discovery of Exoplanet Orbiting a Solar-type Star, Construction of the ELT Dome Foundations Begins, Winners of the 2019 European Union Contest for Young Scientists Announced, Winners of Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2019 announced, Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics awarded to the Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration, Science in School: Issue 47 now available, First 18 ELT Primary Mirror Blanks Arrive at Safran Reosc, ESO and ESA confirm that asteroid 2006 QV89 will not hit Earth in 2019, ESO Astronomer awarded the Sparlamento Prize in Research and Development 2019, Former ESO Astronomer and Head of Instrumentation Division Guy Monnet wins 2019 Tycho Brahe Medal, Winner of Summer AstroCamp 2019 ESO Bursary Announced, ESO and Irish Research Council sign studentship programme agreement, ESOcast 203: Chile Chill 13 — Celestial Symphony, Exciting Experiments During Total Solar Eclipse at La Silla, Paranal Observatory hosts Microsoft President, On the increasing number of satellite constellations, 10 000th student visits the ESO Supernova, Planetarium shows available for booking until the end of 2019, GASP program receives 2.5 million euros from the European Research Council, Science in School: Issue 46 now available, Chilean Senate awards medals to ALMA for contribution to first image of black hole, 2019 Olivier Chesneau Prize Awarded to Jozua de Boer, Live Webcast and Reddit AMA Session of the First Result from the Event Horizon Telescope, ESO Remains World’s Most Productive Ground-based Observatory, Media Advisory: Press Conference on First Result from the Event Horizon Telescope, ESO and Czech Republic sign Training Programme agreement, IAU Astronomy Education Conference comes to ESO Supernova, ESO Becomes Shareholder in Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory, ESO Supernova April–June programme springs online, President of Armenia visits ESO Headquarters, ESOcast 194: Cutting Edge of Contemporary Astronomy, Joint EIROforum DG statement on equal opportunities, Catch a Star 2018 Contest Winners Announced, Astronomy & Astrophysics celebrates 50 years since its first issue, World’s largest convex mirror blank ready for final touches, 2019 Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year Competition Opens, ESOcast 190: Chile Chill 12 — Fire in the Heavens, New baseline schedule for ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope, ELT’s HARMONI spectrograph passes Preliminary Design Review, Winner of La Silla Total Eclipse Public Competition Announced, Exciting new programme at the ESO Supernova, Science in School: Issue 45 now available, Win a Fully-Paid Trip to the La Silla Total Solar Eclipse 2019 and other ESO sites in Chile, ESO Supernova Receives Gold Rating for Sustainability, Join ESO’s Second Social Media Gathering, #MeetESO, Launch of CERN–ESO Science-Art Project Simetría, Winners of Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 announced, Winter Astronomy Camp 2018 ESO bursary winner announced, ESO to host its first Teacher Training Workshop for Danish educators, Mexica Archeoastronomy: New Free Planetarium Show, Programme for the ESO Open House Day 2018 Now Available, ESO’s La Silla Observatory to gain cutting-edge SOXS instrument, German Research Foundation selects the ORIGINS Cluster as a new Cluster of Excellence, Winners of the 2018 European Union Contest for Young Scientists Announced, ESO’s VLT Adaptive Optics Facility receives the 2018 Paul F. Forman Team Engineering Excellence Award, New Planetarium Show: The Sun, Our Living Star, Exciting Autumn Programme at the ESO Supernova, Release of the ESO Archive Science Portal, Media Advisory: Invitation to attend La Silla Solar Eclipse 2019, Winter Astronomy Camp 2018 applications open, ESOcast 173: First Successful Test of Einstein’s General Relativity Near Supermassive Black Hole, Live Broadcast from ESO Announcing News from the Heart of the Milky Way, Media Advisory: Press Conference at ESO HQ Announcing News from the Heart of the Milky Way, Captivating new programme at the ESO Supernova, ESOcast 170: The 2 July 2019 Total Solar Eclipse Over La Silla, ESOcast 167: VLT sees `Oumuamua getting a boost, Science in School: Issue 44 now available, Live Webcast from the ESO Supernova on Asteroid Day, Contract signed for detectors of ESO’s ELT instruments, ESOCast 165: Fast-Track Your Career with the ESO Fellowship Programmes, Contract Awarded for Coating Plant for ELT Primary Mirror Segments, Winner of Summer AstroCamp 2018 Bursary Announced, New Planetarium Show: Europe to the Stars, Irish Membership of ESO Approved by ESO Council, Claudio Melo Becomes ESO Representative in Chile, Prizes Awarded to 2018 Photo NightScape Winners, ESO’s Very Large Telescope Celebrates 20 Years of Remarkable Science, Discover your Place in Space at the ESO Supernova, ESO Supernova Offers Unforgettable Learning Experiences, ELT Foundation Work Started on Cerro Armazones, Contract Signed for ELT Primary Mirror Segment Supports, Opening campaign for the ESO Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Centre, Printed ESO Supernova Programme Now Available, Science in School: Issue 43 Now Available, Media Advisory: Press Conference to Mark Inauguration of ESO Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Centre, First Shell of ELT Deformable Mirror Completed, Your Events in the ESO Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Centre, ESO Supernova Programme Now Available Online, Clarification of Brazil’s Involvement in ESO, ESO Signs Contract with Chilean Company for ELT Technical Facility, ESOcast 151: Chile Chill 11– ALMA from the Air, Starmus V — Star-studded Line Up for 2019, ESO at the Big Science Business Forum 2018, ESOcast 149: Fast Track Your Career With the ESO Studentship Programme, AstroCamera 2018 Competition Open for Entries, 5th Photo NightScape Awards Open for Entries, Catch a Star 2017 Contest Winners Announced, 2018 Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year Competition Opens, ESO Director General meets European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, Science in School: Issue 42 now available, ESO to Build ELT With Full Primary Mirror, Willy Benz Elected Next ESO Council President, De Zeeuw-Van Dishoeck Graduation Prize for Astronomy 2017 Awarded to Laura Driessen, ESOcast 139: Why Astronomers Want to Use ALMA — ALMA and the Cold Interstellar Clouds, Winners of Fifth ESO Astronomy Camp Bursaries Announced, Exciting New Virtual Reality Mode for ESO Virtual Tours 6.0, ESO to Participate in FORSCHA Event again.