Announcements 2016

18 July 2016: The Foreign Minister of the Netherlands, HE Bert Koenders has visited ESO’s observatory at Paranal in Chile, home of the Very Large Telescope. Mr Koenders was accompanied by the Netherlands Ambassador to Chile, HE Marion S. Kappeyne van de Coppello, and the Netherlands government delegate on the ESO Council, Mirjam Lieshout-Vijverberg. They were welcomed to Paranal by ESO Director General Tim de Zeeuw, Andreas Kaufer and Jasna Razmilic. At the end of a very informative visit, Mr Koenders said: “It is impressive to be in the middle of the Atacama desert, the driest place on Earth, and to see a unique result of European collaboration. The Netherlands Research School for Astronomy works closely with ESO. I am proud that the idea for this unique project was born 62 years ago in Leiden”.

8 July 2016: The latest edition of ESO's quarterly journal, The Messenger, is now available online. Find out the latest news from ESO on topics ranging from new instruments to the latest science discoveries. Highlights of this edition include: Adaptive Optics Facility Status Report: When First Light Is Produced Rather Than Captured Solar Activity-driven Variability of Instrument Data Quality A Stellar Census in NGC 6397 with MUSE First Results from the XXL Survey and Associated Multi-wavelength Programmes ALMACAL: Exploiting ALMA Calibrator Scans to Carry Out a Deep and Wide (Sub)millimetre Survey,Free of Cosmic Variance Light Phenomena over the ESO Observatories III: Zodiacal Light Download The Messenger in PDF format or visit The Messenger website to subscribe and receive a free printed copy. The printed version will be distributed from 15 July 2016. This product is also available in the ESOshop.

7 July 2016: The new FIDEOS (Fiber Dual Echelle Optical Spectrograph) instrument has made its first observations — known as first light — collecting its first scientific data and confirming its successful operation. FIDEOS is operating on the ESO 1-metre telescope at La Silla in Chile, the first telescope to be installed on the site back in 1966. It is one of the telescopes no longer run directly by ESO, and is now operated by the Universidad Católica del Norte (UCN), having been refurbished by the Centro de Astro Ingeniería de la Universidad Católica de Chile (AIUC). FIDEOS, which was designed and assembled by a team from the AIUC, is a high-resolution spectrograph that is optimised for determining radial velocities of stars to high precision, thereby identifying candidate exoplanets. A star that is orbited by an exoplanet is made to “wobble” by the gravitational effect of the exoplanet’s mass as it orbits around ...

6 July 2016: ESO has signed a contract with the French company Reosc [1], a subsidiary of Safran Electronics & Defense, to polish the secondary mirror of ESO’s forthcoming European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) from a pre-formed glass-ceramic blank. Reosc will design the mirror and its mounting interfaces, polish the surface, and complete all necessary optical tests before delivery, which is expected in 2022. The contract was signed by ESO Director General Tim de Zeeuw and M. Thierry Batut, President of Reosc, in the presence of M. Jean-Claude Brunet, the French Consul General in Munich, other senior representatives of Reosc and key ESO staff members. The secondary mirror is, as the name suggests, the second of five mirrors that guide light from distant objects through the telescope, eventually to emerge at the telescope’s Nasmyth focus where a suite of scientific instruments will be sited. Hanging upside-down at the top of the telescope structure, ...

1 July 2016: The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) Board has approved the production of Band 1 receivers, developed by an international team led by the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASIAA) in Taiwan, East Asia. When installed on the telescope they will enable it to detect radiation having wavelengths between 6 and 8.5 millimetres [1], opening a window onto the southern hemisphere at these wavelengths. ALMA’s Observatory Scientist, John Carpenter, described the main drivers for the use of Band 1 as “probing the evolution of dust grains as planets form in circumstellar discs; and detecting molecular gas in re-ionisation epoch galaxies”. With the new receivers the observatory will be even better equipped to observe the high-redshift Universe. In order to capture radiation from distant cosmic sources over a broad range of wavelengths within the millimetre and submillimetre region of the spectrum, each ALMA antenna is equipped with several different receivers, ...

1 July 2016: The current ESO Director General, Tim de Zeeuw, will complete his second 5-year term as Director General at the end of August 2017. The ESO Council has decided to establish a search committee to help in the selection of the next Director General. Tim de Zeeuw has led ESO during a period of outstanding scientific, technical and organisational success. He has overseen ESO’s contributions to the completion of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) Observatory, the selection and acquisition of the site and the approval and start of construction of the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) together with its first light instruments, the continuing operation and development of the La Silla and Paranal observatories including the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment telescope (APEX) telescope, the completion of the second generation Very Large Telescope array (VLT) instruments, and the completion of the extension of the Headquarters building in Garching and the donation of ...

30 June 2016: A team of European astronomers have used data from ESO’s VISTA survey telescope to catalogue a diverse population of minor planets — small bodies in the Solar System — at near-infrared wavelengths. Their study has resulted in a collection of measurements for nearly 40 000 objects, data that may help to answer key questions about the early Solar System. Around 700 000 small objects have so far been catalogued in the Solar System, from rocky asteroids, to icy comets. By studying these objects, astronomers hope to learn about how the Solar System formed and evolved and also gather important information about possible Earth impacts. The team examined a subset of the VISTA Hemisphere Survey that covered around 40% of the southern hemisphere of the sky. By carefully sifting through the vast amount of data from the survey, they were able to extract the position and brightness of almost 40 000 ...

29 June 2016: ESO has reached agreement with Leiden University in the Netherlands to site a station of MASCARA (the Multi-site All-Sky CAmerRA) at ESO’s La Silla Observatory in Chile. The contract was signed by ESO Director General Tim de Zeeuw and Geert de Snoo, Dean of the Faculty of Science at Leiden University. MASCARA is a planet-hunting instrument that will eventually consist of a number of individual stations operating at sites across the globe. Each station contains a battery of cameras which will monitor almost the entire sky visible from its location. Once all the stations have been installed, MASCARA will be able to provide almost all-sky coverage down to magnitude 8. Its main purpose is to find the brightest transiting exoplanets, but there are also a wealth of secondary science goals. MASCARA is expected to provide a catalogue of the brightest targets for future exoplanet characterisation missions. The first MASCARA station ...

28 June 2016: The construction of the concrete shell of the ESO Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Centre has been completed and the exciting “double-star system” design of the building is now coming to life. The ESO Supernova will provide visitors with an immersive experience of astronomy and ESO’s scientific and technological achievements. The building, donated by the Klaus Tschira Stiftung, has been designed by architects Bernhardt + Partner. Other companies involved in the planning and construction include Bollinger + Grohmann (support structure planning), engineering firm Hausladen (HVACR planning), engineering firm Burnickl (electrical planning), Grossmann Bau (rough construction), Frener & Reifer (facades) and more. Over 700 completely unique formwork elements for the concrete shell have been accurately designed from the architects’ 3D model. These crucial components were designed and built by the company Doka. Surveyors checked all formwork parts were in the correct positions, maintaining the necessary millimetre accuracy of the shell, before pouring ...

24 June 2016: The United Kingdom’s decision to leave the EU has no direct consequences for the UK’s membership of ESO. The UK has been a Member State of ESO since 2002 and will remain so should it leave the EU, without any immediate impact. ESO is an intergovernmental astronomical research organisation that is independent of the European Union. A country’s membership of ESO is independent of its membership of the EU. ESO was established by international treaty between its Member States, which now number 15, not all of which are members of the EU. The broader implications of the UK’s exit from the EU cannot be anticipated at present and the impact of this process on the European research landscape may take many years to become clear. In the meantime, ESO will be actively working with international stakeholders at all levels to promote excellent science in its Member States, in Europe, including ...

24 June 2016: ESO’s observatories at La Silla and Paranal and the ALMA Operations Support Facility (OSF) already operate a schedule of public visits. But now that schedule is expanding, as for the first time La Silla Observatory will open its doors to the public during the Chilean winter. Until now, the observatory has been closed to visitors during July and August due to extreme weather conditions. Henceforth La Silla will receive visitors every Saturday from 14.00 to 17.00, offering them the opportunity to see in person ESO’s first observatory in Chile. Located 600 kilometres north of Santiago de Chile at the edge of the Atacama Desert, La Silla Observatory hosts two of the most productive 4-metre-class telescopes in the world, the ESO 3.6-metre telescope and the 3.58-metre New Technology Telescope (NTT). Alongside other facilities in the complex, both telescopes will from now on be open to visitors throughout the year, on Saturdays ...

21 June 2016: ESO's telescopes are sited in Chile’s Atacama Desert, one of the driest and most inhospitable places on Earth. These challenging conditions mean that the observatories benefit from some of the clearest and darkest skies imaginable, making this a perfect place from which to observe the heavens. In this ESOcast, we meet some of the visitors to this magical region, visitors both human and animal, both terrestrial and celestial. From astronomers, to viscachas, to comets — they are all part of the ever-changing world of the Atacama. You can subscribe to the ESOcasts in iTunes, receive future episodes on YouTube or follow us on Vimeo. Many other ESOcast episodes are also available. Find out how to view and contribute subtitles to the ESOcast in multiple languages.

20 June 2016: ESO has signed an agreement with Teledyne Scientific & Imaging [1] to build the detectors for the new MOONS instrument that will be mounted on ESO’s flagship telescope, the Very Large Telescope (VLT) on Cerro Paranal, Chile. The detectors are the HAWAII-4RG and they are the next generation of near-infrared detectors for astronomy. Each detector will have 16.7 million pixels, each 15 micrometers square, making them the largest near-infrared detectors currently available. The technology draws on a long and successful heritage of similar, but smaller, detectors which have been in use at ESO’s telescopes for more than 10 years. This new next generation of detectors is expected to show the same excellent performance, and will exploit a larger active area. The detectors represent the final stage in the construction of the very complex instrument called MOONS, the Multi-Object Optical and Near-infrared Spectrograph. MOONS, designed and built by an international consortium ...

17 June 2016: ALMA Sounds, a project that brings together artists and astronomers in the search for a common language, has launched a new interactive website. In late 2015, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the Department of Astronomy of the Universidad de Chile, in conjunction with Sónar+D and Corporación Chilena de Video, invited musicians and artists to work with sounds created from observations made by the most powerful radio telescope in the world. “The ALMA sound bank is made up of a series of drum shots created from the sound pattern of electromagnetic spectra from the Orion Nebula,” explains astronomer Antonio Hales. “The emission lines of molecules present in the Orion Nebula were transformed into musical notes, transposing the 'chords' from the skies into sound chords. The sound bank is, as its name implies, a digital library of sounds available to the musical community.” The ALMA Sounds project will also feature ...

16 June 2016: The latest issue of the free magazine Science in School is now available online and in printed form. This European journal for science teachers offers inspiring articles and hands-on activities for students in every issue. It aims to promote science teaching by encouraging communication between teachers, scientists and everyone else involved in European science education. From this issue onwards, reuse of articles and activities will be even easier as all Science in School content will be published under a Creative Commons attribution (CC BY) licence. CC BY lets you distribute, tweak, and build upon the articles, even for commercial uses, as long as you acknowledge the original author. Some of the highlights of this issue include: how plankton gets jet-lagged; teaching with Rosetta and Philae; using smartphones to measure the heavens; and cracking the genetic code. For students interested in science writing, a science writing competition is also being launched, ...

16 June 2016: The ESO Annual Report 2015 is now available, presenting an overview of ESO’s many activities throughout the year. The contents include: Research highlights from ESO facilities, including the latest results from fields of astronomy stretching from studies of the Solar System to surveys of very distant galaxies. A summary of operations at ESO’s observatories in Chile. The latest news from the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) and Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) projects. News about ESO staff and buildings — including preparations for the ESO Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Centre. This product is available for sale in the ESOshop.

2 June 2016: ESO has released a new video Compilation showing its telescope facilities at the La Silla observatory in Chile. The Compilation was filmed during the recent the ESO Fulldome Expedition and is released in Ultra HD resolution. High above the Atacama Desert, the observatory is home to an array of world-class telescopes, equipped with sophisticated instruments to observe the cosmos. Even though some of these telescopes are now decades old, they still amount to some of the finest observing facilities in the world, and benefit from the continuous advances in instrument technology that ESO encourages. Added to the superb observing conditions at the site, these telescopes are still making significant astronomical discoveries. In the video you are introduced to the telescopes in order of size, from the largest, ESO’s 3.6-metre telescope, to the smallest, the Belgian 0.6-metre TRAPPIST telescope. All have made major contributions to our understanding of the Universe, proving ...

31 May 2016: ESO and its Science Outreach Network are collaborating with the science education event organiser Sterrenlab and the Astronomical Observatory of the Autonomous Region of the Aosta Valley (OAVdA) to arrange the fourth ESO Astronomy Camp on the topic of the multiwavelength universe. The camp will take place from 26 December 2016 to 1 January 2017 in the Aosta Valley, Italy. The camp will explore the theme of “The Visible and Hidden Universe” through several astronomical sessions, including lectures, hands-on activities, and night-time observations with the telescopes and instruments at the observatory. Social activities, winter sports and excursions will contribute to making the camp a memorable experience for the participants. ESO and OAVdA will be responsible for the scientific programme of the ESO Astronomy Camp, and will provide lecturers and material together with several other partners. Some highlights from this year’s programme include: use of a spectrograph, lectures from ESO astronomers ...

25 May 2016: As ESO signs a contract to begin building the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT), this ESOcast takes a close look at this mammoth instrument and outlines some of the scientific advances we can expect from it. The ESOcast features amazing computer generated images of the E-ELT, showing in remarkable detail what the monster telescope will look like on top of Cerro Armazones in the Chilean Andes. On 25 May 2016, ESO signed a contract with the ACe engineering consortium of Italy, to build the dome and main telescope structure of the E-ELT. With a main mirror 39 metres across, and a protective dome almost 80 metres high, this will be one of the biggest astronomical projects ever undertaken. The light-gathering power of the E-ELT will exceed that of all the professional telescopes currently operating, and its adaptive optics systems will permit it to produce images far sharper than any other ...

20 May 2016: Ten years ago the Universe Awareness project was launched. To celebrate this anniversary, and the launch of the new Space Scoop website, a global contest has been launched inviting the readers of Space Scoop to create their own Space Scoop comic. Space Scoop provides a comic template — all you have to do is to select a released text and let your creativity flow! Artwork using traditional media such as watercolour, pencils, mosaic or chalk is welcome, as is work created using digital software like Paint, GIMP or Adobe Illustrator. Three winners will be selected in each participating country, one for each age category (8-11 years, 12-15 years, and 16-18 years). Each winner will receive a cosmic goody bag and a certificate. In addition, the winning artwork will be displayed on the international Universe Awareness website. The winning entries from all countries will then be evaluated by an international panel ...