ESO

ESO

@eso.org

The European Southern Observatory designs, builds & operates world-class observatories on the ground for the benefit of society. More info on eso.org

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ESO
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Perfect Halloween discovery: dead star and planetary bodies 🎃 🪐 Our VLT has found a rare disc of debris around a dead star that provides a glimpse into the possible fate of our Solar System. 🔭 🧪

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Yet unlike in similar systems previously found, this debris is organised not in only one ring of vaporised planetary rubble, but instead in a double disc, the two parts separated by a clear gap. 🔭 🧪

ESO
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The disc appears to be shaped by two planetary bodies.  Astronomers estimate that the one in the inner ring is the size of a typical asteroid, a few kilometres in diameter, while the outer one could be as large as Pluto, or even our Moon. Read more: https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2613/  🔭 🧪

ESO
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Perfect Halloween discovery: dead star and planetary bodies 🎃 🪐 Our VLT has found a rare disc of debris around a dead star that provides a glimpse into the possible fate of our Solar System. 🔭 🧪

ESO
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This debris consists of the leftovers of planets that once orbited the star. As the central Sun-like star entered the final stages of its life to become the white dwarf J1328−1450, it expanded and shed its outer layers, engulfing and destroying nearby planets. Animation by ESO/L. Calçada 🔭 🧪

ESO
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In Maastricht from 27 to 30 October 2026? If so, come meet us and other major research infrastructures at the Big Science Business Forum 2026 and become part of the European Big Science ecosystem. More information: www.bsbf2026.org 🔭 🧪 #BSBF2026 #BigScience #Innovation #Europe

ESO
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Smoke signals in space 💨 The Fine Ring Nebula, shown here, looks like an almost perfect circular ring — yet most planetary nebulae are either spherical or elliptical in shape, or bipolar. Why this unusual shape? Find out: https://www.eso.org/public/images/potw1131a/ 🔭 #flashback

ESO
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New ELT milestone 🥳 The massive altitude structure of our ELT was tilted for the first time in October 2026. 📹 ESO/Cimolai 🔭 🧪

ESO
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To point anywhere in the Southern sky, the telescope needs to rotate on a vertical & a horizontal axis. A few months ago, the ELT rotated on its vertical axis for the first time. Now, tilting on its horizontal axis is another step in the right direction. 📹 ESO/Cimolai 🔭 🧪

ESO
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The framework that will hold the ELT’s five mirrors is built from nearly 2000 tonnes of steel. It moves by floating on a layer of oil that, in the future, will be thinner than a human hair. Discover more: https://www.eso.org/public/videos/potw2643a/ 📹 ESO/Apical/G. Vecchia 🔭 🧪

ESO
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Diamonds in the tail of the scorpion 💎 🦂 Easily spotted with the naked eye close to the tail of the constellation of Scorpius, Messier 7 is one of the most prominent open clusters of stars in the sky — making it an important astronomical research target. https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso1406/ 🔭

ESO
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A visit to the Hunter 🏹 Fly to M78, a nebula in the constellation of Orion (the Hunter), just to the upper left of the three stars that form its famous belt. But M78 is no ordinary cosmic cloud: it’s a reflection nebula. What does that mean? Find out: https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso1635/  🔭

ESO
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📹 ESO/S. Brunier/Chris Johnson 🎧 Johan B. Monell

ESO
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A cosmic blast 💥 Known as the Crab Nebula, this object is the remnant of a supernova explosion observed almost 1,000 years ago, in the year 1054. Inside it, a neutron star is spinning 30 times per second around its axis. Discover more: https://www.eso.org/public/images/eso9948f/ 🔭 #flashback

ESO
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This object is one of the three BlackGEM telescopes hosted at our La Silla Observatory.  Its mission? To help detectors such as LIGO and Virgo to pinpoint powerful gravitational-wave events, like neutron star and black hole mergers. Discover how: https://www.eso.org/public/images/potw2642a/ 🔭 🧪

ESO
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A Galaxy on the Edge. The spiral galaxy NGC 1055 appears to lack the whirling arms characteristic of a spiral, as it is seen edge-on. On the other hand, it displays odd twists in its structure. What caused them? Read more: https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso1707/ 🔭

ESO
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What’s hiding in Orion’s clouds? 🔍 Visit the Orion A molecular cloud, the nearest known massive star factory, lying about 1350 light-years from Earth. This region hosts many curious structures buried deep inside the dusty clouds. Discover them: https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso1701/ 🔭

ESO
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📹 ESO/VISION survey/N. Risinger 🎧 Johan B. Monell

ESO
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New milestone reached 🥳 Nearly 500 segments of the main mirror of our ELT have now arrived from Europe at the ELT Technical Facility at our Paranal Observatory in Chile. That is around half of all the segments being made for what will become a 39-metre eye on the sky. 🔭 🧪

ESO
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It is not possible to make a mirror this big from a single piece of glass. That is why the main mirror of the ELT consists of 798 individual segments, working together as one, to observe the cosmos in depth and detail. 🔭 🧪

ESO
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Straight out of the “Dune” films? Not really: this spectacular sunset scene took place in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, and in the distance you can spot the domes of our Very Large Telescope. Discover more: www.eso.org/public/image... 🔭 #flashback

ESO
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Massive antenna, silent mirror 📡 The 15-metre diameter surface of the SEST telescope reflects the dark night sky over our La Silla Observatory. While no longer in operation, SEST was one of a kind at the time of its first light in 1987. Discover why: https://www.eso.org/public/images/potw2641a/ 🔭

ESO
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A new collaboration between the International Astronomical Union's Centre for the Protection of Dark and Quiet Skies, of which ESO is a member, and @esa.int was launched. They'll work on technologies to reduce the impact of spacecraft on astronomy 🔭🛰️

ESA Operations@operations.esa.int

🤝We're teaming up with IAU CPS to keep the night sky dark and quiet. Satellites' reflected light and radio frequency interference challenge professional astronomy as well as simple stargazing 👉 www.esa.int/Space_Safety... Credit: F. Kamphues, ESO/M. Kornmesser

ESO
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Ribbons and pearls 🎀 Ribbons of gas & dust wrap around the pearly centre of the galaxy NGC 1398.  NGC 1398’s spiral arms do not begin at its very middle, but stem from a straight bar instead. How many spiral galaxies share this feature? Find out: https://www.eso.org/public/images/potw1801a/ 🔭

ESO
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Celestial cat meets cosmic lobster 🐈‍⬛ 🦞 Fly to the Cat’s Paw Nebula and the Lobster Nebula, two glowing clouds of gas and dust in the constellation of Scorpius. Objects of this kind are known as emission nebulae. Curious why? Discover it here: https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso1705/ 🔭

ESO
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📹 ESO/N. Risinger 🎧 Nuclearmetal/New Horizons

ESO
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Your next astronomy reading break is sorted 🔭📚 Discover this collection of BBC stories about ESO. Thanks for the great pieces, @richardfisher.bsky.social!

Richard Fisher@richardfisher.bsky.social

The last of a series of pieces I wrote for the BBC about ESO's telescopes in the Atacama Desert - why do they fire massive lasers into the atmosphere? ⚛️🧪 www.bbc.com/future/artic...

bbc.comWhy astronomers make fake stars with huge lasersFor the first time in its history, the Very Large Telescope in Chile is operating with up to seven lasers that fire up into the atmosphere. But why do astronomers need them?
ESO
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Celestial nomad ☄️ In a scene humming with activity, the major player is Comet Lovejoy, glowing green in the sky above La Silla. But what are the other cosmic objects in this image? Find out: https://www.eso.org/public/images/potw1504a/  🔭 #flashback  📷 P. Horálek/ESO

ESO
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64 years old and still staying up all night 🌟 🔭 But OK, that comes with the job we have been doing since ESO was founded #OTD in 1962.  That's six decades (and a little more!) of exploring the cosmos. We’re nowhere near done, but we'll surely find a moment today for a slice of birthday cake 🍰

ESO
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PhD student in astronomy or related scientific fields, this one is for you!  There is still time to apply for the ESO Studentship Programme 2026/2027. Positions are available: ➡️ At our Headquarters in Germany ➡️ In our offices in Santiago (Chile) Details: https://recruitment.eso.org/ 🔭 #ESOjobs

ESO
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Come on in, our doors are open! 🚪✨ Today we’re welcoming visitors as part of the Garching Research Campus Open House Day. If you’re around Munich, don’t miss your chance to explore our Headquarters and the ESO Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Centre right next door. 🔭 #TagDerOffenenTür

ESO
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#ESOjobs For our Paranal Observatory, we are inviting students from Chilean universities, ideally in their last career years, to apply to our programme Summer Students Chile 2027. The deadline to apply is 30 October 2026. Details at: https://recruitment.eso.org/ 🔭 📷 Y. Beletsky (LCO)/ESO

ESO
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Discover the opportunities of Europe’s Big Science ecosystem! Co-organised by ESO, #BSBF2026 will bring together companies, research organisations, knowledge institutions and governments around the technologies and investments of the future. 📅 27–30 October 📍 Maastricht 🔗 www.bsbf2026.org 🔭

ESO
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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: https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso1711/ 🔭

ESO
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📹 ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), J. Bally/H. Drass et al./N. Risinger. 🎧 Johan B. Monell

ESO
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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

ESO
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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: https://recruitment.eso.org/ 🔭 #ESOjobs

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. 🔭

ESO
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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: https://www.eso.org/public/images/potw1618a/ 🔭 #flashback

ESO
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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: https://www.eso.org/public/images/potw2639a/  🔭 🧪

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: https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso1723/ 🔭