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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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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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The foreground and sky were photographed one after the other from the same spot, using the same camera, lens and focal length (Canon 6D + Samyang 85 mm). The only difference is that the sky exposure used tracking to increase the signal-to-noise ratio.

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ESO @eso.org · 28/09/2026

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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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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📹 ESO/Digitized Sky Survey 2

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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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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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Hi, RCW 36 is located about 2300 light-years away.

ESO @eso.org · 24/09/2026

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

This so-called Centre Wheel Mechanism was built by @astronomienl.bsky.social , part of the MICADO consortium, led by @mpe-garching.bsky.social . Read more: www.eso.org/public/images/potw2638a 📷 MPE/NOVA/F. Kamphues

eso.org

A wheel fit for a giant

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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

📹 ESO, N. Risinger, Digitized Sky Survey 2. 🎧 Johan B. Monell

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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

📹 ESO/K. Ohnaka/N. Risinger 🎧 astral electronic

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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#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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MOONS will create an accurate 3D map of the centre of our galaxy. To do this, it captures infrared light from stars in that region — light that, unlike visible light, can pass through the dust shrouding the centre of the Milky Way. Read more: www.eso.org/public/images/potw2636a 🔭 🧪 2/3

eso.org

It’s a new MOON(S)!

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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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Thank you for visiting and for celebrating our long-standing partnership together!

ESO @eso.org · 04/09/2026

Heard the news? The new VLT instrument MOONS, built by a consortium led by the UK Astronomy Technology Centre, has made its first observations 🙌 Get the gist with this video by the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council: www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlAdjG7exug 🔭 🧪 #instrumentation 1/2

youtube.com

MOONS captures its first light, no telescope has ever seen this before

MOONS has captured its first light, almost one thousand objects in ...

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ESO @eso.org · 04/09/2026

Thank you for visiting; it was a pleasure to welcome you and the delegation to our headquarters!