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Dramatic Stellar Fireworks Visit the remains of a 500 year old interaction of recently formed stars, looking like a cosmic version of fireworks with giant streamers rocketing off in all directions. But how did this process happen? Find out: www.eso.org/public/news/eso1711 🔭

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And this is just the tip of the iceberg, so check the full programme: www.eso.org/public/announcements/an… While you're here, explore the ESO Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Centre, located next to us: supernova.eso.org/programme/detail/… 🔭 #TagDerOffenenTür

Visitors inside the ESO Supernova planetarium, looking up at a large dome projection showing a colourful astronomical scene. Imaeg by ESO/P. Horálek.

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Have you marked 3 October in your calendar? 🗓️ That's the day we open our doors as part of the Open House Day of the Garching research campus, meaning that you can come visit us and ask our astronomers and engineers your burning questions about the cosmos. 🔭 #TagDerOffenenTür

Social media graphic announcing the ESO and ESO Supernova Open House Day on 3 October, from 10:00 to 17:00 in Garching near Munich. In the background, a child and an adult take part in a hands-on activity with the help of ESO staff.

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ESO @eso.org · 29/09/2026

There is still time for early career scientists to apply for the ESO Fellowship Programme 2026/2027! ➡️ Fellowships are available both at our Headquarters in Garching and Santiago. ➡️ Application deadline: 15 October 2026. Details: recruitment.eso.org 🔭 #ESOjobs

Graphic announcing that applications are open for the ESO Fellowship Programme 2026/2027 in Garching, Germany, and Santiago, Chile, with a deadline of 15 October 2026. The right side shows a telescope beneath the Milky Way, with laser beams extending into the night sky. Image by G. Hüdepohl (atacamaphoto.com)/ESO.

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During their visit, they learnt about our facilities in Chile, and about how ESO brings countries, people and institutions together to further our knowledge of the Universe and our ability to explore it. Read more: www.eso.org/public/announcements/an… 🔭

A large group of people pose for a photo outside the entrance of the ESO Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Centre. Image by ESO.

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ESO @eso.org · 29/09/2026

Today, ministers and secretaries of state from several countries visited our Headquarters in Germany. Led by German Federal Minister of Research, Technology and Space Dorothee Bär, the delegation was welcomed by ESO Director General Andreas Kaufer. 🔭

Group photo taken inside the ESO premises. Two ESO blue flags and large windows are visible behind them. Image by ESO.

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ESO @eso.org · 29/09/2026

Four laser beams project out from the VLT's UT4. Some 90 km up in the atmosphere, they excite atoms of sodium, creating artificial stars for the telescope’s adaptive optics systems. But why four lasers and not just one? Find out: www.eso.org/public/images/potw1618a 🔭 #flashback

The interior of one of the VLT Unit Telescopes. A person stands beneath the telescope structure for scale. Four bright orange laser beams extend from the telescope through the open dome into the night sky. Image by ESO/F. Kamphues

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ESO @eso.org · 28/09/2026

Dark clouds and a starry night sky ☁️ ✨ The gleaming Trifid and Lagoon nebulae can be seen between our New Technology Telescope (left) and the ESO 3.6-meter telescope (right) at La Silla. But where does their red colour come from? Find out: www.eso.org/public/images/potw2639a 🔭 🧪

Two white telescopes, on two hills on the bottom left and right of the frame. In the background, the night sky features a lot of stars, and, in the centre of it, a dark cloud, in tones of black and brown, that goes from top to bottom. In the bottom of this cloud, spots shining in red and pink, and some blue, appear. Image by J. Rodrigues/ESO.

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A dazzling Spiral 🌀 Fly to Messier 77, a galaxy so massive that its gravity causes other nearby galaxies to twist and become warped. The final image does justice to the galaxy’s beauty — but it fails to reveal Messier 77’s turbulent nature. Read more: www.eso.org/public/news/eso1723 🔭

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Full programme: www.eso.org/public/announcements/an… And while you’re exploring the campus, don’t miss the planetarium shows and exhibition at the ESO Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Centre next door: supernova.eso.org/programme/detail/… 🔭 #TagDerOffenenTür

Interior view of the ESO Supernova exhibition, with interactive displays about stars arranged along a dark gallery. Large astronomical images cover the walls, including glowing stars and nebulae, while suspended spherical models hang overhead. The bilingual text “Wie entstehen Sterne? / How do stars form?” is visible on the wall.

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In Munich on 3 October? Come and visit us! We’re opening our doors for the Open House Day of the Garching Research Campus. Chats with astronomers, kids activities, live connections with telescope operators at our observatories in Chile...there’s plenty in store for you! 🔭 #TagDerOffenenTür

Image announcing the ESO and ESO Supernova Open House Day on 3 October, from 10:00 to 17:00 in Garching near Munich. The background shows a busy interior space filled with visitors. Large orange text highlights “OPEN HOUSE DAY”, with the hashtag #TagDerOffenenTür at the bottom.

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ESO @eso.org · 24/09/2026

If you are a PhD student in astronomy or related scientific fields, you can still apply for the ESO Studentship Programme 2026/2027. Positions are available at our offices in Germany and Chile. Apply by: 20 October 2026. Details: recruitment.eso.org 🔭 #ESOjobs

A view of the La Silla Observatory. Several telescope domes are visible across a rocky landscape. Layers of distant mountains stretch towards the horizon beneath an orange and yellow sky. Image by ESO/B. Tafreshi (twanight.org).

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Cloudy with a chance of dust ☁️ This cloud-strewn image shows RCW 36, an emission nebula within a larger complex, the Vela Molecular Ridge. RCW 36 is one of the closest sites to our Solar System where certain objects are forming. Read more: www.eso.org/public/images/potw1949a 🔭

Colourful view of a nebula, filled with clouds of red, orange, blue and dark gas and dust. Bright stars shine through the clouds.

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ESO @eso.org · 23/09/2026

An “oasis in the desert” 🏝️ This is how ESO’s Residencia, which provides shelter for those who work at Paranal, is sometimes called. It was chosen as the hide-out for the Bond villain in the movie Quantum of Solace and it was blown up in one of the scenes — luckily, only virtually! 🔭

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ESO @eso.org · 22/09/2026

The Triangulum galaxy up close 👀 Taken with our VLT, this festive-looking image reveals the diversity and complexity of the gas and dust between the stars in our neighbouring galaxy. What do the different colours represent? Find out: www.eso.org/public/images/potw2612a 🔭 #flashback

Wide-field image showing intricate clouds of gas and dust in shades of orange, gold, purple, and blue

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ESO @eso.org · 21/09/2026

A wheel fit for a giant! Two engineers look up at the heart of MICADO, a future ELT instrument. Each slot in this giant wheel carries a different filter. The mechanism measures 1.5 metres, compared with just a few tens of centimetres across in today’s telescopes. 🔭 🧪

Two people in light blue cleanroom garments, white gloves and hard hats stand beneath a large circular metal structure suspended above them. Dark, round optical elements are mounted around the inner edge of the ring, and cables hang down from its centre. White scaffolding and a blue support frame surround them in a brightly lit cleanroom.

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ESO @eso.org · 18/09/2026

Planet membership: expired 🪪 20 years ago, Pluto lost its planetary status & had to leave the Solar System's exclusive planet club. Why was it reclassified? And do other cosmic objects defy our classifications? Watch the full #ChasingStarlight episode: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHnt... 🔭 🧪

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ESO @eso.org · 18/09/2026

The call for applications for the ESO Fellowship Programme 2026/2027 from early career scientists is still open! ➡️ Fellowships are available both at our Headquarters in Garching and Santiago. ➡️ Application deadline: 15 October 2026. Details: recruitment.eso.org 🔭 #ESOjobs

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ESO @eso.org · 17/09/2026

Topsy-Turvy Galaxy! Meet NGC 1313, a galaxy located just 15 million light-years away. Yet NGC 1313 is not just a pretty picture. A mere scratch beneath the elegant surface reveals evidence of puzzling problems facing astronomers. Read more: www.eso.org/public/news/eso0643 🔭

Colourful view of an irregular galaxy against a dark background. Its bright central region is surrounded by scattered clusters stars and clouds of gas. Image by ESO.

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ESO @eso.org · 16/09/2026

A visit to the hunter! Fly to the Orion Nebula, located in the constellation of Orion (the Hunter). It is one of the closest stellar nurseries, but the brightness and colours of the stars in the nebula's cluster revealed something unexpected. Read more: www.eso.org/public/news/eso1723 🔭

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ESO @eso.org · 15/09/2026

Even in their downtime, astronomers cannot resist catching a glimpse of the starry sky — like in this image taken at the ESO Residencia, the hotel for working at our VLT. DYK? The Residencia featured in a famous film, discover which one: www.eso.org/public/images/potw1921a 🔭 #flashback

A silhouetted person sits by a window, looking up at the night sky. The Milky Way is visible through the window above the dark landscape. Image by ESO/P. Horálek.

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ESO @eso.org · 14/09/2026

Read more: www.eso.org/public/images/potw2637a Video credits: 📹 ESO/M. R. Cioni et al., VMC Survey, P. Horálek, Zdeněk Bardon, N. Risinger 🎵 Mylonite – Composition 129

Two telescopic images of the Small Magellanic Cloud side by side. One shows the full galaxy, a diffuse, irregular and elongated agglomeration of stars. An inset zooms into its core, revealing millions of stars. Image by ESO/M.-R. Cioni et al.

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ESO @eso.org · 14/09/2026

These images were captured by our Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA). Astronomers used it to take very deep infrared images of the cores of these galaxies, allowing us to better understand their 3D shapes and motion. 🔭 🧪

Two telescopic images of the Large Magellanic Cloud side by side. One shows the full galaxy, a diffuse, irregular and elongated agglomeration of stars. An inset zooms into its core, revealing millions of stars. Image by ESO/M.-R. Cioni et al.

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ESO @eso.org · 14/09/2026

A starry night, but in another galaxy ✨ Fly over the Magellanic Clouds, two galaxies orbiting the #MilkyWay, and discover a new stellar landscape — completely different from the one we see in our sky here on Earth. 🔭 🧪

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ESO @eso.org · 10/09/2026

Aftermath of a cosmic bang 💥 The famous Crab Nebula lies about 6,000 light-years away and is the remnant of a supernova explosion witnessed from Earth nearly 1,000 years ago, in 1054. But what did the explosion leave behind at its heart? Find out: www.eso.org/public/images/eso9948f 🔭

Colourful view of a nebula, set against a dark star-filled sky. Bright blue-green gas glows at its centre, surrounded by intricate filaments of red, orange and green material. Image by ESO.

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ESO @eso.org · 09/09/2026

The heart of the scorpion 🦂 Join the trip to the iconic red supergiant star Antares, shining with a strong red tint at the centre of the constellation of Scorpius. Yet observations revealed something unexpected in its atmosphere. Discover more: www.eso.org/public/news/eso1726 🔭

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ESO @eso.org · 08/09/2026

The ESO 3.6-m telescope sits perched at the summit of the La Silla mountain in the Chilean Atacama Desert, 2400 m above sea level. Wondering what causes the faint green airglow visible towards the horizon? Find out: www.eso.org/public/images/potw2346a 🔭 #flashback

A road leading to an observatory dome beneath a densely star-filled night sky. The Milky Way stretches across the sky. Image by ESO/A. Ghizzi Panizza (www.albertoghizzipanizza.com)

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ESO @eso.org · 07/09/2026

#ESOjobs If you are a PhD student in astronomy or related scientific fields, you can apply for the ESO Studentship Programme 2026/2027. Positions are available at our Headquarters in Germany or in our offices in Santiago (Chile). Apply by: 20 October 2026. Details: recruitment.eso.org 🔭

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ESO @eso.org · 07/09/2026

It’s a new MOON(S)! Suspended here in darkness are two infrared cameras belonging to MOONS, a new instrument of our VLT that recently performed its first observations. 🔭 🧪 1/3 #instrumentation 📷 L. Sbordone/ESO

Black-and-white image showing two large shiny metal devices, both against a black background. One is on the left, sharp in the foreground, and the other is on the right, blurred in the background. Each device is structured in three main tiers and is covered in metal bolts, fastenings, and joints of various sizes, as well as cables.

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ESO @eso.org · 03/09/2026

Like a painting in the sky 🎨 This scene captures the central region of the Omega Nebula. Hidden within it, astronomers spotted the silhouette of a disc of gas and dust, funnelling material onto a growing object. But what is that object? Find out: www.eso.org/public/images/potw1044a 🔭

Colourful view of a nebula, filled with thousands of bright stars in glowing clouds of gas and patches of dust. Image by ESO/R. Chini.

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ESO @eso.org · 03/09/2026

MOONS will be able to capture the chemical fingerprint of 1000 objects at once. It will observe red & infrared light, allowing astronomers to peer into our galaxy's heart and construct an accurate 3D map of the Milky Way, as well as study how distant galaxies formed. 🔭 🧪 2/3

Members of the MOONS team from the UK Astronomy Technology Centre and ESO pose in front of the instrument. Image by UK ATC/G. Soutar.

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ESO @eso.org · 03/09/2026

The first light of MOONS! Mounted on our VLT, the scientific instrument Multi-Object Optical and Near-infrared Spectrograph (MOONS) has successfully made its first observations. During its ten-year design lifetime, it is expected to observe up to ten million objects. 🔭 🧪 1/3

A view of the MOONS instrument at the VLT. The instrument is blue and grey, surrounded by platforms, cables and support structures inside an industrial facility. Pipes and ventilation ducts run across the ceiling above the equipment. Image by UK ATC/M. Black.

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ESO @eso.org · 02/09/2026

Experience spring at the Paranal Observatory! We are opening reservations for daytime, free public tours for the southern-hemisphere 2026 spring season (October through December) at our Paranal Observatory in Chile. 🔭 1/2

A guide in a blue helmet gestures while speaking to a group of people. Large metal structures are visible behind them. Image by ESO/N.Schafer.

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ESO @eso.org · 02/09/2026

Saturn isn’t just a planet! Meet the Saturn Nebula, a spectacular planetary nebula named for its resemblance to the iconic ringed planet seen edge-on. But what created it? And what lies at its heart? Find out: www.eso.org/public/news/eso1731 🔭

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ESO @eso.org · 01/09/2026

The Butterfly Effect 🦋 Galaxies NGC4567 and NGC4568, nicknamed the Butterfly Galaxies due to their wing-like structure, are beginning to collide and merge. But are galaxy collisions as violent and catastrophic as one could imagine? Find out: www.eso.org/public/image... 🔭 #flashback

Two interacting spiral galaxies with bright golden centres and distorted blue-white arms, appearing to overlap and set against a dark background. Credit: ESO.

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ESO @eso.org · 31/08/2026

A rare snowy day for the ELT ❄️ Two weeks ago northern Chile was affected by severe weather. It caused damage to several cities and brought snow to our observatories, leaving stunning imagery like this drone video of our Extremely Large Telescope. 🔭 1/2

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ESO @eso.org · 27/08/2026

Always full of surprises! The Orion nebula is a huge complex of gas and dust, characterised by many fascinating structures. And, notably, also the closest region to Earth where a remarkable cosmic process is taking place. Discover which process that is: www.eso.org/public/news/eso1103 🔭

A nebula showing glowing clouds of blue, white, and purple gas surrounding a bright central region. Dark dust lanes and scattered stars are visible throughout the image. Image by ESO/Igor Chekalin

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ESO @eso.org · 26/08/2026

Bearing the scars of a turbulent past. Visit NGC 1316, a galaxy formed by the mergers of smaller galaxies, which have left their mark on its structure. The mergers also led to an influx of gas, which fuels a gigantic object in NGC 1316. Read more: www.eso.org/public/news/eso1734 🔭

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ESO @eso.org · 25/08/2026

A fish in space? 🤨 Not quite, but part of the Gum 3 nebula resembles a Koi fish. A Koi-smic fish 😜 But what causes those shades of red and pink? 🔭 #flashback 1/2

A cloud-like structure in shades of red and hot pink. Bright white stars shine through some gaps in the structure. Surrounding the cloud are thousands of stars of different sizes and colours over a dark background.

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ESO @eso.org · 24/08/2026

A bubbling Betelgeuse ⭐️ 🫧 This ALMA image is one of the most detailed views yet of the surface of the iconic star Betelgeuse. The surface is uneven & lumpy, with peaks and troughs originating from giant bubbles of hot gas rising from deep within the star to its surface. 🔭 🧪 1/2

A star’s almost circular shape in various shades of orange, centred against a black background. The edge of the shape has smoothed bumps and extensions, and is a darker orange compared to most of the shape’s interior which is orange to light orange.

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This weather also affected our La Silla observing site, leading to the temporary suspension of scientific operations. As weather conditions are now finally improving, operations are slowly returning to normal at all sites.

Night-time panoramic view of ESO’s Very Large Telescope at Paranal, with its four Unit Telescopes surrounded by snow beneath a star-filled sky. The Milky Way stretches across the horizon behind the telescopes.

Snow-covered view of the Cerro Murphy Observatory, with several telescope domes lining the mountaintop beneath a bright blue sky and low clouds.

Wide view of a vast snow-covered landscape in Chile’s Atacama Desert, with rolling hills and distant mountains stretching beneath a clear blue sky.

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Over the past days, unusually severe weather has affected northern Chile, where our observatories are located. This brought snow to Paranal and to the ELT construction site. It left stunning images, while causing severe flooding and damage to several cities within the Antofagasta Region. 🔭 1/2

Snow-covered view of ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope construction site at Cerro Armazones. The telescope dome and cranes rising through low clouds as the Sun shines brightly near the horizon.

Aerial view of a vast snow-covered mountainous landscape in Chile’s Atacama Desert, with ESO facilities and access roads visible in the foreground beneath a clear blue sky.

Wide view of ESO’s Paranal Observatory after snowfall, with the Very Large Telescope’s four Unit Telescopes visible atop the snow-covered Cerro Paranal under a blue-grey sky.

Snow-covered landscape at ESO’s Paranal Observatory, with the Residencia building stretching along the right and the Very Large Telescope’s Unit Telescopes visible atop Cerro Paranal in the distance under a clear blue sky.

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A treasure trove of celestial objects 🤩 Star clusters, emission nebulae and active star-forming regions are just some of the riches observed in this region, lying some 4000 light-years from Earth in the constellation of Ara. Discover them: www.eso.org/public/news/eso1510 🔭 📷 ESO

A bright star-forming region surrounded by dense clouds of gas and dust. A glowing white central area is bordered by reddish and brown gas, dark dust lanes, and stars scattered across the field.

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