An unusual view from a telescope!

Astronomers usually look up when they visit an observatory, but during daylight hours some spectacular views can be found by looking down. This image, taken from the dome of ESO's 3.6-metre telescope at its observatory in La Silla, contrasts technological achievement, represented by the array of telescopes, with the rugged, natural beauty of the surrounding landscape. The 3.6-metre telescope, fitted with the HARPS instrument, is being used to hunt for a planet in orbit around the star Proxima Centauri, the nearest star to Earth. This is the Pale Red Dot campaign, giving the public a unique insight into the work of modern astronomers.

Pale Red Dot is an international search for an Earth-like exoplanet around the closest star to us, Proxima Centauri. It will use HARPS, attached to the ESO 3.6-metre telescope at La Silla Observatory, as well as the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network (LCOGT) and the Burst Optical Observer and Transient Exploring System (BOOTES). The public will see how teams of astronomers with different specialities work together to collect, analyse and interpret data, which may or may not be able to confirm the presence of an Earth-like planet orbiting our nearest neighbour. The outreach campaign consists of blog posts and social media updates on the Pale Red Dot Twitter account and using the hashtag #PaleRedDot. For more information visit the Pale Red Dot website: http://www.palereddot.org