Announcements

11 August 2015: A new instrument called GRAVITY has been shipped to Chile and successfully assembled and tested at the Paranal Observatory. GRAVITY is a second generation instrument for the VLT Interferometer (VLTI). It will allow the measurement of the positions of astronomical objects on the finest scales and perform interferometric imaging and spectroscopy. GRAVITY will bring the most advanced vision to the VLT, combining four individual telescopes of the Paranal Observatory so that they effectively act as a single telescope with a diameter of more than 100 metres. Using several novel techniques, GRAVITY will offer sensitivity and accuracy far beyond what is possible today [1]. It aims to measure the positions of objects on scales of order ten microarcseconds, and perform imaging with four milliarcsecond resolution. For illustration, this corresponds to seeing buildings on the Moon, and locating them to within a few centimetres. GRAVITY will push high angular resolution astronomy to ...

5 August 2015: Poland has now completed the ratification of its membership of ESO and becomes the organisation’s fifteenth Member State. ESO is proud to welcome Poland and looks forward to the contributions of the nation’s astronomers and industry. The formal ratification process for Poland’s membership of ESO was completed when the instrument of ratification was deposited at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Paris on 8 July 2015. This follows the approval of the text by the Polish Congress and Senate, the signature of the ESO Accession Agreement by the President of Poland, Bronisław Komorowski, and the counter signature by the Prime Minister, Ewa Kopacz. Lena Kolarska-Bobińska, the Polish Minister of Science and Higher Education, had signed the Accession Agreement in October 2014. The ratification cements Poland’s position at the forefront of the world’s astronomical community. With membership, they have access to ESO’s suite of telescopes and instruments, including the Very ...

17 July 2015: After more than five years of development and construction, ALMA successfully opened its eyes on another frequency range after obtaining the first fringes with a Band 5 receiver, specifically designed to detect water in the local Universe. Band 5 will also open up the possibility of studying complex molecules in star-forming regions and protoplanetary discs, and detecting molecules and atoms in galaxies in the early Universe, looking back about 13 billion years. ALMA observes the Universe in radio waves: light that is invisible to the human eye. The weak electromagnetic glow from space is captured by the array of 66 antennas, each with diameters up to twelve metres. Their receivers transform this weak radiation into an electrical signal. To scout a broad range of frequencies, each ALMA antenna is equipped with up to ten different receivers, each one specially designed to cover a specific range of wavelengths. The new Band ...

16 July 2015: On 15 and 16 July 2015, the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) Resource Board decided to enter into detailed contract negotiations for hosting the CTA’s southern hemisphere array within the grounds of the Paranal Observatory, one of ESO’s sites in Chile. Similar negotiations for a northern site on La Palma are also starting. The CTA project is an initiative to build the next generation of ground-based instruments designed for the detection of very high energy gamma-rays. Gamma rays are emitted by the hottest and most powerful objects in the Universe — such as supermassive black holes, supernovae and possibly remnants of the Big Bang. The array will provide valuable deeper insights into the high-energy Universe. Although gamma rays don’t make it to the Earth’s surface, the CTA’s mirrors and high-speed cameras will capture short-lived flashes of the characteristic eerie blue Cherenkov radiation that is produced when the gamma rays interact with ...

10 July 2015: 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, fun games 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. Some of the highlights of this issue include: infectious cancers, which are currently pushing one Tasmanian species to the brink of extinction; a look at what is happening when you dye your hair; and using mathematics to help tackle epidemics. Teaching activities include: using magic sand to introduce mystery into the classroom and explain chemistry, and using simple liquids that mimic blood to demonstrate blood typing. Science in School is published by EIROforum, a collaboration between eight European intergovernmental scientific research organisations, of which ESO is a member. The journal addresses science teaching ...

10 July 2015: Following the recommendations of the ESO Finance Committee (FC) and Scientific Technical Committee (STC), Council authorised the Director General to sign the contracts for the first set of instruments for the E-ELT. These huge and innovative tools to analyse the light collected by the giant telescope will allow the E-ELT to address a wide range of astronomical questions soon after its completion. The choices are based on extensive input from the astronomical communities in ESO’s Member States. This instrumentation package comprises a near-infrared imager with spectroscopic capability (MICADO), a multi-conjugate adaptive optics unit (MAORY), which will feed MICADO (and possibly additional future instruments); an integral field spectrograph (HARMONI), along with development of its laser tomography adaptive optics system to preliminary design review level; and a mid-infrared imager and spectrometer (METIS). MICADO, coupled with MAORY, will allow the full resolution of the telescope to be brought to bear on many current ...

8 July 2015: ESO has signed a contract with the French optics company Reosc, a subsidiary of Sagem, Safran group, to manufacture the deformable shell mirrors that will comprise the fourth mirror (M4) of the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) These mirrors will be mounted and supported in the adaptive mirror unit (ann15045) to form the largest ever adaptive mirror unit ever made. The contract was signed by representatives of Reosc and ESO at a ceremony at ESO Headquarters on 8 July 2015. The M4 deformable mirror system forms a key part of the E-ELT. Measuring 2.4 metres in diameter, it will be made up of six thin segment mirrors, each only 1.95 millimetres thick and made of ceramic glass. Each shell is one of six 60-degree petal sections that form the circular segmented M4 mirror. SCHOTT will deliver pieces of ceramic to Reosc, then Reosc will manufacture and polish the thin shells. ...

7 July 2015: The winners of this year Catch a Star Contest have been announced. ESO is providing a mounted image of fascinating astronomical objects for each of the top five places. The top three places also have the chance to carry out remote observations at the Rozhen National Astronomical Observatory in Bulgaria. The top prize was awarded to three projects: Experimental determination of the obliquity of the ecliptic, by Clara Preixens Vidal, David Beberide Sabarich, and Anna Alonso Giro; Comparative study of two solar eclipses in the 21st century, by Nuria Babot, Guillem Serrado, and Alba Ganau; and Experimental determination of the Moon’s density, by Julia Dominguez, Andrea Cabero, and Albert Gomez. All three groups were from Spain and had Anicet Cosialls Manonelles as their teacher. A complete list of the winners can be found on the Catch a Star website. School students from around the world were invited to take part ...

7 July 2015: 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: ALMA's Extension to 15-kilometre Baselines: Submillimetre Science down to 20-Milliarcsecond Resolution Probing the Effects of Stellar Evolution: The Dust and Gas in Detached Shells around AGB Stars The SINFONI Nearby Elliptical Lens Locator Survey (SNELLS) Report on the ESO Workshop “Baryons at Low Densities: The Stellar Halos around Galaxies” Download The Messenger in PDF format or visit The Messenger website to subscribe and receive a free printed copy.

6 July 2015: New educational material about radio astronomy, ALMA at School, co-authored by the Joint ALMA Observatory and ESO, is now available for free in the educational material section of ESO’s website in both English and Spanish. The manual contains an overview of the history of radio astronomy leading up to ALMA, and sections on the physics of radio astronomy and how radio astronomy is used to explore our cosmic origins. Diagrams, photographs and illustrations are featured throughout the manual, clarifying and visualising key elements of the story behind radio astronomy, as well as its physics and applications. At the back of the book are a set of ten classroom activities to actively engage students, and a series of slides that can be used in the classroom to illustrate key concepts.

3 July 2015: On 15 July 2015, the Chilean Government and ESO will host an industry event for Chilean businesses in Antofagasta, Chile. At the meeting, taking place in Hotel Antofagasta, representatives of interested Chilean companies and institutions will be offered information about ESO, given an introduction to the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) and presented with the opportunities that are available to participate in its industrial activities. The Antofagasta Region of northern Chile is now renowned for its astronomical significance. It is home to some of the world’s most important telescopes, including the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the Very Large Telescope (VLT). During the course of the industry day, ALMA engineer Nick Whyborn will give a talk on the technical needs of ALMA and Maxime Boccas will address those at the Paranal site. Interested companies will have the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the technological requirements of ESO, as well ...

30 June 2015: The 17th issue of the Communicating Astronomy with the Public journal is out now! In this issue you will find articles discussing outreach activities for the Google Lunar XPRIZE race to the Moon; the issues involved in communicating astronomy directly to a mass audience through television; the role of space art in astronomy outreach; and how using simple optical instruments to reproduce historical astronomical observations can help amateur astronomers and the wider public engage with astronomy in a direct, collaborative way. There is all this, and more, in this free, peer-reviewed journal for astronomy communicators — now available for download.

29 June 2015: On 3 July 2015, the Polish Government will host the Second Industry for ESO workshop for Polish businesses at the Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Centre in Warsaw. At the meeting, representatives of interested Polish companies and institutions will be offered information about ESO, given an introduction to the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) and presented with potential opportunities to participate in its industrial activities. The day will open with a welcome speech from Under Secretary of State for the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Prof. Włodzisław Duch, followed by an introduction to ESO from Patrick Geeraert (ESO Director of Administration). There will be several further talks on engineering and projects available at ESO, including the E-ELT. In the afternoon, Polish companies will be able to give short presentations and there is the possibility of one-to-one meetings between ESO representatives and interested Polish companies to close out the day. Registrations is ...

26 June 2015: The ALMA Observatory recently received its first art exhibit: a golf ball of enormous proportions, displayed alongside the antennas at an altitude of 5000 metres above sea level on the Chajnantor Plateau. This inflatable work of art is part of a travelling project named Mixed Game (Juego Mixto) by Dagmara Wyskiel [1], a Polish artist who has lived in Antofagasta, northern Chile, for over a decade. After the giant ball completes its journey through the Atacama Desert, it will roll on to Grey Glacier in Magallanes and then to the shores of Valparaiso. “Mixed Game involves the introduction of an enigmatic but at the same time visually synthetic object into diverse open spaces of the landscape,” explains the artist, who is responsible for a production related to contemporary art, graphic design, art education and cultural development. Dagmara Wyskiel adds that “the object introduced suggests that something may have finally appeared ...

25 June 2015: The Inamori Foundation has announced Michel Mayor as one of the laureates of the 2015 Kyoto Prize. The other laureates are chemist Toyoki Kunitake and choreographer John Neumeier. Michel Mayor, who is Professor Emeritus at Geneva University in Switzerland and has spent sabbatical semesters with ESO in Chile, was honoured for “answering a fundamental age-old question of astronomy regarding the existence of exoplanets by discovering 51 Pegasi b, the first one orbiting a Sun-like star… and opening an entirely new field of research.” The lasting impact of his discovery is illustrated in recent observations of 51 Pegasi b made using ESO’s HARPS instrument. Michel Mayor was the leader of the group that developed and exploited the power of HARPS, the world’s leading planet-hunting machine. The Kyoto Prize Presentation Ceremony will be held in Kyoto, Japan, on 10 November 2015. Each laureate will receive a diploma, the Kyoto Prize medal and ...

22 June 2015: We would like to remind you that ESO will open its doors to the public on Saturday 27 June 2015 between 18:00 and 24:00 CEST. The event will be held at ESO Headquarters in Garching, near Munich, Germany. This year’s Open House Day is part of The Long Night of Science (Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften) that is taking place across the Garching research campus, as well as at several other local institutes. Visitors will have the opportunity to experience the world of ESO first hand by taking part in many different activities. The list of activities that are planned is now available and given below. If you need help finding your way about during the Open House Day, look for our members of staff, who will be wearing name badges. As ESO is an international organisation, we have staff speaking several languages. Media representatives who wish to attend the event ...

19 June 2015: ESO has signed a contract with the AdOptica consortium in Italy — ADS International and Microgate, partnered with INAF (Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica) as subcontractors — for the final design and construction of the very challenging adaptive unit for the fourth mirror (M4) of the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT). This mirror system will surpass any adaptive mirror ever made for a telescope and be the largest of its kind. The contract was signed by representatives of AdOptica and ESO at a ceremony at ESO Headquarters on 19 June 2015. The AdOptica contract does not include the manufacture of the shell mirrors themselves. These will be constructed under a separate contract that will be announced soon. The M4 deformable 2.4-metre mirror system forms a fundamental part of the E-ELT. It consists of a mirror made from six component petals, actuators and control systems that can correct the image distortion caused ...

16 June 2015: The ESO Annual Report 2014 is now available. It presents the many activities of the ESO throughout the year. The contents include: Research highlights from ESO facilities, with the latest results from fields covering aspects of astronomy stretching from exoplanet studies to surveys of very distant galaxies. A summary of the activities at ESO’s observatories in Chile. The status of the telescopes and instruments at the La Silla and Paranal Observatory, including detailed descriptions of new instruments — in particular SPHERE and MUSE — and upgrades. The latest news from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) projects, including the ground-breaking ceremony for the E-ELT on Cerro Armazones and the completion of construction of the ALMA Observatory. News about the ESO staff and buildings — including the preparations for the ESO Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Centre.

15 June 2015: The winners of this year’s AstroCamera competition have been announced. Rolf Wahl Olsen is the winner in the Deep Sky Objects category, Gerald Rhemann in the Solar System Objects category, and David Lane in the Astrolandscape category. The best three entries in the each of the three categories will receive grants from the organisers, while ESO, as one of the sponsors of the event, will award prizes in the form of DVDs and other printed material for the entries that have received honourable mentions from the judges. Initially launched on 28 January 2011, in conjunction with the 400th anniversary of the birth of the 17th century astronomer Johannes Hevelius, the competition is open to all astronomy and astrophotography enthusiasts. The life and achievements of Hevelius, a renowned observer of the night sky, have been an inspiration for the Hewelianum Centre to make the AstroCamera competition a regular event, and this ...

15 June 2015: The first prototype of a new generation of fast and very sensitive detectors has been successfully installed on the PIONIER instrument at ESO’s Paranal Observatory. This achievement is the result of five years of sustained collaboration and effort from academic institutes (LETI, ONERA, IPAG, LAM) and industrial partners (SOFRADIR). As its name suggests, the new RAPID system [1] delivers several thousand images per second and can operate at very low light levels. These capabilities, unique for an infrared detector, are crucial for many applications, ranging from fundamental science to medicine. In astronomy, it will boost the performance of adaptive optics, a technology at the heart of the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT). Unlike most of the commercially available detectors, RAPID can spot photons (light particles) of both visible and infrared light (wavelengths from 0.4–3.6 micrometres). This is a tremendous gain; the increased spectral coverage means that far more photons can ...