Seminars and Colloquia at ESO Garching and on the campus

An Informal Discussion showcasing the analysis of Chen et al. 2025, “Who Uses Whose Telescopes? Analyzing the Knowledge Geography and Research Dominance of Global Astronomical Facilities”, sparked curiosity about the initiatives ESO has supported in Chile (its hosting country) regarding scientific and technological advancement. Since 1995, ESO has committed to supporting the development of astronomy in Chile, in the form of direct funding for research, education and training. We will show the main legal basis of the involvement of ESO in the development of astronomy in Chile, based on the “Acuerdo” for the construction of telescopes and its further modifications. Then, we will discuss the variety of astronomy initiatives supported by ESO, with an emphasis on the projects financed by the “Comite Mixto ESO-Chile", including its regional call, and the participation of Chilean students and postdocs in ESO programs.

Combining telescopes (or antenna) has been a staple of observatory design and operations. The technique, known as interferometry, is rooted in the nature of the light we are seeking to observe: because of light’s wave nature, interferometry provides high angular resolution without having to build prohibitively large collecting areas. Our own Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) is one of the very few interferometers operating in the optical regime, and arguably the most ambitious one with the largest telescopes, most advanced adaptive optics and laser guide stars.

The recent first light of the 4 UTs with laser guide stars is an opportunity to retell the story of VLTI, which started in the late 1970’s with extraordinary scientific vision and perceptive technical foresight. What kind of observations are carried out by VLTI? how unique are its contributions? What will the recent upgrade (GRAVITY+) yield? After introducing a brief history of the VLTI (and the VLT), I will showcase the recent and prospective astrophysical results of this unique facility.