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href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/coude/"> Coudé Auxiliary Telescope <span class="desktop-children topmenu-arrow fa fa-angle-right"></span></a><span class="mobile-children"><span class="fa fa-angle-down"></span></span><ul id="submenu-aim-372" class="submenu-aim sublevel"><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/coude/ces/"> CES </a></li></ul></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/marly/"> MarLy 1-metre telescope </a></li><li class="submenu"><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/09metre/"> Dutch 0.9-metre telescope <span class="desktop-children topmenu-arrow fa fa-angle-right"></span></a><span class="mobile-children"><span class="fa fa-angle-down"></span></span><ul id="submenu-aim-375" class="submenu-aim sublevel"><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/09metre/walraven/"> Walraven Photometer </a></li></ul></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/t70/"> Swiss T70 telescope </a></li><li class="submenu"><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/bochum/"> Bochum 0.61-metre telescope <span class="desktop-children topmenu-arrow fa fa-angle-right"></span></a><span class="mobile-children"><span class="fa fa-angle-down"></span></span><ul id="submenu-aim-378" class="submenu-aim sublevel"><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/bochum/bochum-scanner/"> Bochum Scanner </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/bochum/bochum-photometer/"> Bochum Photometer </a></li></ul></li><li class="submenu"><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/danish05/"> Danish 0.5-metre telescope <span class="desktop-children topmenu-arrow fa fa-angle-right"></span></a><span class="mobile-children"><span class="fa fa-angle-down"></span></span><ul id="submenu-aim-381" class="submenu-aim sublevel"><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/danish05/danish-two-channel-hb-photometer/"> Two-Channel Hβ Photometer </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/danish05/danish-four-channel-uvby-photometer/"> Four-Channel uvby Photometer </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/danish05/danish-six-channel-uvby-hb-photometer/"> Six-Channel uvby–Hβ Photometer </a></li></ul></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/gpo/"> Grand Prisme Objectif telescope </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/swiss04/"> Swiss 0.4-metre telescope </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/marseille/"> Marseille 0.36-metre telescope </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/grb/"> GRB Monitoring System </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/mascara/"> MASCARA </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/blackgem/"> BlackGEM </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/extra/"> ExTrA </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/lasilla/test-bed/"> Test-Bed Telescope </a></li></ul></li><li 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</a></li></ul></li><li class=""><a href="/public/teles-instr/instruments/"> Instruments </a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </li> <li><a href="/public/science/">Discoveries<span class="fa fa-angle-down level0-children-arrows"></span></a> <span class="mobile-children"> <span class="fa fa-angle-down"></span> </span> <div class="level1-wrapper"> <div class="level1"> <ul id="submenu-aim-424" class="submenu-aim"> <li class=""><a href="/public/science/key-discoveries/"> ESO Key Astronomical Discoveries </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/science/exoplanets/"> Exoplanets </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/science/gravitationalwaves/"> Gravitational Wave Sources </a></li><li class="submenu"><a class="no-link children" href="#"> Black Holes <span class="desktop-children topmenu-arrow fa fa-angle-right"></span></a><span class="mobile-children"><span class="fa fa-angle-down"></span></span><ul id="submenu-aim-428" class="submenu-aim sublevel"><li class=""><a href="https://www.eso.org/public/science/event-horizon/"> First image of a black hole </a></li><li class=""><a href="https://www.eso.org/public/science/EHT-MilkyWay/"> First image of the Milky Way central black hole </a></li><li class=""><a href="https://www.eso.org/public/science/gc/"> More about the black hole at the galactic centre </a></li></ul></li><li class=""><a href="/public/science/grb/"> Gamma-Ray Bursts </a></li><li class=""><a href="/public/science/archive/"> Science Archive </a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </li> <li><a href="/public/events/">Events<span class="fa fa-angle-down level0-children-arrows"></span></a> <span class="mobile-children"> <span class="fa fa-angle-down"></span> </span> <div class="level1-wrapper"> <div class="level1"> <ul id="submenu-aim-434" class="submenu-aim"> <li class=""><a href="/public/events/press-evt/"> Press Events </a></li><li class="submenu"><a href="/public/events/special-evt/"> Special Events <span class="desktop-children topmenu-arrow fa 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<div class="container " id="body"> <div class="row no-page"> <div class="col-md-12"> </div> </div> <div class="row page"> <div class="col-md-12 one-column"> <div id="edit-info-block"> <div id="page-edit-success" class="alert alert-success alert-dismissible" role="alert" style="display: none"> <button type="button" class="close" data-dismiss="alert" aria-label="Close"><span aria-hidden="true">×</span></button> Page saved successfully </div> <div id="page-edit-failure" class="alert alert-danger alert-dismissible" role="alert" style="display: none"> <button type="button" class="close" data-dismiss="alert" aria-label="Close"><span aria-hidden="true">×</span></button> Couldn't save page :( Please try again. </div> </div> <div class='page-content'> <div id="editable-content"> <h1>About ESO</h1> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-9"> <div class="youtube-frame"> <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T1hRXTv_0ZQ?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div>  <p>The European Southern Observatory (ESO) enables scientists worldwide to discover the secrets of the Universe for the benefit of all. We design, build and operate world-class observatories on the ground. Astronomers worldwide use our telescopes to tackle exciting questions and spread the fascination of astronomy: How did the Universe come into existence? What are black holes? Are we alone in the Universe? </p> <p>We are an intergovernmental organisation established in 1962 supported by 16 Member States (Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom), our host country Chile and strategic partners. ESO brings together over 750 staff from more than 30 countries, and countless more collaborators worldwide, all driven by the passion to build the best telescopes, serve the community and <a href="https://www.eso.org/public/about-eso/societal-benefits/">benefit society</a>. We are honoured by the privilege to serve more than 22 000 users from over 130 different countries with excellent infrastructure, services, technologies and data. </p> <p>All our telescopes are currently located in the Chilean Atacama Desert, a marvelous place with unique conditions to observe the sky. ESO operates three observing sites in Chile: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor. In addition, we are building “the world’s biggest eye on the sky”—<a href="https://elt.eso.org/">ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope</a>, located on Cerro Armazones, which will be operated as part of the Paranal Observatory. </p> <p>At <a href="https://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/lasilla/">La Silla</a>, ESO’s first observatory, we operate two of the most productive 4-metre-class telescopes in the world. <a href="https://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/paranal-observatory/">Paranal</a> is the home of ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), one of the most advanced optical telescopes in the world, and its unique Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI), as well as survey telescopes such as VISTA. In the future, Paranal will also host and operate the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) South, the world’s largest and most sensitive gamma-ray observatory. Collaboratively with international partners, ESO operates <a href="https://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/alma/">ALMA</a> on the Chajnantor plateau. ALMA allows scientists to investigate the Universe in the millimetre and submillimetre wavelength range of light.</p> <p>ESO’s Headquarters are located in Garching, close to Munich in Germany. Here we conceive and develop cutting-edge telescope technologies together with our industry partners, and educate both children and adults in our visitor centre and planetarium, the <a href="https://supernova.eso.org/">ESO Supernova</a>. Our central offices in Santiago are the hub from which we support the organisational operations in the country and collaborate with <a href="https://www.eso.org/public/about-eso/eso-and-chile/">our host and partner country</a>, Chile, its authorities, scientific community and society. </p> </div> <div class="col-md-3"> <blockquote> <p><em>"An almost unique level of international cooperation is achieved at ESO, and everything is done by those who can do it best, irrespective of their country or institution. This spirit of excellence is an example for all Europe."</em></p> <footer><cite title="Source Title">Mrs. Maria van der Hoeven, Former Minister of Education, Culture and Science, the Netherlands</cite></footer> </blockquote> <div class="thumbnail"><a href="/public/images/eso9863a/"><img src="/public/archives/images/news/eso9863a.jpg" alt="..."></a> <div class="caption"> <p>ESO Headquarters</p> </div> </div> <div class="thumbnail"><a href="/public/images/chile_map_routes"><img src="/public/archives/images/news/chile_map_routes.jpg" alt="..."></a> <div class="caption"> <p>Sites in Chile</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>  <div class="row footernote"> <div class="col-xs-12 col-md-3"> <a href="mailto:information@eso.org">Send us your comments!</a> </div> <div class="col-xs-12 col-md-3"> <a href="/public/outreach/newsletters/esonews/">Subscribe to receive news from ESO in your language</a> </div> <div class="col-xs-12 col-md-3"> <a href="https://www.cdn77.com">Accelerated by CDN77</a> </div> <div class="col-xs-12 col-md-3"> <a href="/public/about-eso/privacy/">Terms & Conditions</a> </div> </div> <link href="/public/archives/djp/css/extras.d3e54451ebbb.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> <script type="text/javascript">var MEDIA_URL = "/public/archives/"</script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/public/archives/djp/js/main.04a7335af5a0.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </div>  <div id="social-share" class="hidden-print"> <div class="link facebook" data-toggle="tooltip" data-placement="right" title="Share on Facebook"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://www.eso.org/public/about-eso/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i class="fa-brands fa-facebook-f" aria-hidden="true"></i></a> </div> <div class="link twitter" data-toggle="tooltip" data-placement="right" title="Share on X/Twitter"> <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://www.eso.org/public/about-eso/&text=About ESO&via=ESO" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i class="fa-brands fa-x-twitter"></i></i></a> </div> <div class="link pinterest" data-toggle="tooltip" data-placement="right" title="Share on Pinterest"> <a href="https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://www.eso.org/public/about-eso/&media=&description=About ESO" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i class="fa-brands fa-pinterest-p" aria-hidden="true"></i></a> </div> <div class="link print" data-toggle="tooltip" data-placement="right" title="Print"> <a href="javascript:window.print()" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i class="fa fa-print" aria-hidden="true"></i></a> </div> <div class="link email" data-toggle="tooltip" data-placement="right" title="Share by email"> <a href="mailto:%20?subject=ESO — About ESO&body=https://www.eso.org/public/about-eso/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i class="fa-regular fa-envelope" aria-hidden="true"></i></a> </div> </div> <script> $('[data-toggle="tooltip"]').tooltip(); </script> <input type='hidden' name='csrfmiddlewaretoken' value='CJJCiaehzqBZBhcEG0nph75fhAxqJdqFjnVwVDGnRavDA992panTa38ClE7O9651' /> </body> </html>

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