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ESO PR Highlights in 2003.

7 stycznia 2004

Among the many astronomical highlights of 2003, the Transit of Mercury certainly attracted great attention as shown by the record number of hits the ESO web page received on that day. But this was a mere rehearsal of an even bigger event we will enjoy in 2004: the Venus Transit.

Among the many astronomical highlights of 2003, the Transit of Mercury certainly attracted great attention as shown by the record number of hits the ESO web page received on that day. But this was a mere rehearsal of an even bigger event we will enjoy in 2004: the Venus Transit. ESO, in partnership with several institutions, is organising a major educational event in connection with it. During 2003, the ESO Educational Office was also involved in various other programmes. They included the web-based "Catch a Star!" and the "Physics and Life" projects, organised with EC sponsorship in connection with the 2003 European Science and Technology Week.

The ALMA project, an European-North American collaboration to build an array of 64 12-m submillimetre antennas, moved forward with the signature of the agreement between ESO and the NSF and with the Ground-breaking at Chajnantor. Conceptual studies of a 100-m optical/infrared telescope (OWL) also proceeded well.

Several new instruments were installed at ESO telescopes, e.g. HARPS . And the VLT Interferometer (VLTI) received a powerful Adaptive Optics System and made the first detection through infrared interferometry of an extragalactic object. A rapidly increasing number of new scientific results were obtained on the basis of data from ESO telescopes, some of which were highlighted in ESO Press Releases. A number of beautiful images were published.

Many of these developments are described in ESO's Press Releases, most with Press Photos, cf. the 2003 PR Index. Some of last year's ESO PR highlights may be accessed directly via the clickable image above.

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