en en en en en en tr en en en da en de en de en de en de en de en en en tr en it en es en es en fr en fr en fr en it en it en hu en nl en nl en is en pl en pt en pt en sq en hbs_lat en fi en sv en tr en is en cs en ru en fy en en is pt is is is en es nl sk it nl sv nl pl is is is es en hbs_lat en ceb is en en en en en is en en en is is is is is is is is is is en is nb nb en is is is de is cs is es ru es nb is en es es en en is de is en cs la es is is es is is id de is eo et ceb is is nn is is is nb is is is en en en en fr fr fr fr en fr en fr fr is en en is nb nb is de is pt cs la tr is is es is is is is id de eo et ceb is nn is is is is en en en is is en en en en en fr fr fr fr en en fr en fr fr fr fr fr en en fr de de fr en it fr fr en it en en en en en en en en en is en en en en fr fr fr fr en fr en es is hbs_lat is is is hbs_lat et en de hbs_lat is en hbs_lat gl is is is is da en en sv is en de is is en en is es hbs_lat en is et is is hbs_lat fi fi is is fi is is is en en da en ca it it hbs_lat en en en en en es fr fr en en pt de en it it en hbs_lat es en en en ceb hu cs et en jv is nb it es en en sv is tt da la sv en vi en en hu ro en ca it sv is en en hbs_lat nl de sv en en ja nl kn en en en en ca es eo nl it it en en en fr en en hbs_lat en ca en en en en en fr hbs_lat hbs_lat en en nl en hbs_lat en en en hbs_lat en en is fr is hbs_lat en hbs_lat cs en en hbs_lat en en en fr hbs_lat is de it pt en en la fr eo en war nb pl en fr en bn fr it sl cy cs ceb cs nb en es is en en it en en eo es en nb en en en is is is en nb en en is hu is en en ja de is en is en en en en pt en en en en is en en en en en en en en en en en fr is is is sv es tr en is is is en is is is is en en is is is is en is en en en en en en de de en is is war en es et is en lt fr fr en en en fr en en nb is cs is is en en en en en is ceb en en en en en en en en en en en en is is en en fr en en en gl is is ca en is is en is en fi is cs is sv is is is en en en en is ceb hbs_lat is en en es en en cs uz en en sv en en is en en fi is en en fr en en gl is is is is en de is is et en es is en en en en is en en en en en is en en hu en en hbs_lat is is en en en is en is is is es is is is is is en en fr en hbs_lat en en en en en en is en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en es is en en is
Message from the ESO Director General | ESO Ísland
By continuing to use this website, you are giving consent to our use of cookies.
For more information on how ESO uses data and how you can disable cookies, please view our privacy policy.
ESO, Stjörnustöð Evrópulanda á suðurhveli
Prof. H. van der Laan
Public Visits to the ALMA OSF
Large JPG Zip File (1.9 GB)
Original TIF Zip File (32.9 GB)
Notkun á myndum og myndskeiðum ESO
Subtitles and translations for ESO videos
Usage of ESO Videos and Images
Fríar pantanir fyrir kennara og fjölmiðla
Swiss 1.2-metre Leonhard Euler Telescope
Rapid Eye Mount sjónaukinn
TRAnsiting Planets and PlanetesImals Small Telescope–South
Danski 1,54 metra sjónaukinn
Télescope à Action Rapide pour les Objets Transitoires
ESO 1 metra Schmidt-sjónaukinn
ESO 1,52 metra sjónaukinn
Boller and Chivens Spectrograph
ESO 1 metra sjónaukinn
ESO 0,5 metra sjónaukinn
MarLy 1 metra sjónaukinn
Hollenski 0,9 metra sjónaukinn
Bochum 0,61 metra sjónaukinn
Danski 0,5 metra sjónaukinn
Grand Prisme Objectif sjónaukinn
Svissneski 0,4 metra sjónaukinn
Merseille 0,36 metra sjónaukinn
HIRES (Phase A completed)
MOSAIC (Phase A completed)
Companies working on the ELT
Tíu helstu uppgötvanir ESO
Black Hole at the Centre of our Galaxy
Open House Day 2018
Open House Day 2017
Open House Day 2016
Long Night of Science 2015
Open House Day 2014
Café & Kosmos í München
Open House Day 2013
Registration, Fees and Payment
ESO í 50 ár
Hápunktar í 50 ár
Europe to the Stars
50 years of ESO in Chile
Alþjóðlegt ár stjörnufræðinnar 2009
IMAX® Þrívíddarmyndin Hidden Universe
Open House Day 2011
Open House Day 2009 (German)
Long Night of Science 2007
Open House Day 2006
List of Prize Winners
ESO í 40 ár (1962 - 2002)
EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF)
Total Solar Eclipse 2019
The Comet McNaught 2007
Deep Impact - 04.07.2005
The Venus Transit - 08.11.2004
The Leonids - 17.11.1999
Solar Eclipse at ESO HQ - 11.08.1999
The Leonids - 11.1998
Mars Pathfinder - 1997
Comet Hyakutake - 1997
SL-9 and Jupiter - 1994
Comet Hale Bopp - 1994
Málstofur um miðlun stjarnvísinda
ESO Astronomy Camp 2017
ESO Astronomy Camp 2016
ESO Astronomy Camp 2015
ESO Astronomy Camp 2014
Catch a Star 2013
Catch a Star 2011
Catch a Star 2008
Catch a Star 2007
Catch a Star 2005
Catch a Star 2004
Catch a Star 2003
Catch a Star 2002
Life in the Universe
ESO Science Outreach Network
ESO Outreach Partner Organization
Skráningaform fyrir Outreach Newsletter
Taking the First Picture of a Black Hole
Upplýsingar um miðlun stjarnvísinda
European Astronomy Journalism Prize
Technology Developed by Industries
Novel technologies by ESO
Working with the ELT
Umferð og bílastæði hjá ESO
Local Staff Members (Spanish / English)
How to use this site
×Close Afsakaðu! Þessi síða er ekki til á þínu tungumáli, svo við sýnum upprunalegu útgáfuna í staðinn.
× Page saved successfully
× Couldn't save page :( Please try again.
HOME | MESSAGE FROM THE DG | MOVIE | COFFEE-TABLE BOOK | HISTORY BOOK | 50 HIGHLIGHTS
PUBLIC EVENTS | EXHIBITIONS | SYMPOSIUM | GALA | PICTURES | ESO MEMORIES | COMPETITIONS
TWITTER FEED | WEBCAST | CONTACT
Message from the ESO Director General
The signing of the ESO Convention in 1962 and the creation of ESO was the culmination of the dream of leading astronomers from five European countries, Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden: a joint European observatory to be built in the southern hemisphere to give astronomers from Europe access to the magnificent and rich southern sky by the means of a large telescope.
The dream resulted in the creation of the La Silla Observatory near La Serena in Chile and eventually led to the construction and operation of a fleet of telescopes, with the 3.6-metre telescope as flagship. As Italy and Switzerland in 1982 joined ESO the construction of the New Technology Telescope, with pioneering advances in active optics, became possible, preparing the way for the next step: the construction of the Very Large Telescope. The VLT made adaptive optics and interferometry available to a wide community.
The decision to build a fully integrated VLT system, consisting of four 8.2-metre telescopes and providing a dozen foci for a carefully thought-out complement of instruments opened a new era in ESO’s history. The combination of a long-term adequately-funded instrument and technology development plan, with an approach where instruments are built in collaboration with institutions in the Member States, and with in-kind contributions in labour compensated by guaranteed observing time, has created the most advanced ground-based optical observatory in the world.
Today, in 2012, the original hopes of the five founding members have not only become reality but ESO has fully taken up the challenge of its mission to design, build and operate the most powerful ground-based observing facilities on the planet.
On the Chajnantor plateau in Northern Chile, together with North American and East Asian partners, ESO is developing the biggest ground-based astronomical project in existence, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). And ESO is preparing to build the world’s biggest eye on the sky, the Extremely Large Telescope. Constantly at the technological forefront, ESO is ready to tackle new and even as yet unimaginable territories of scientific discovery.
These achievements have brought ESO many notable scientific breakthroughs, including the first image and direct spectrum of an exoplanet, a major stake in the discovery of the acceleration of the Universe and detailed studies of the supermassive black hole in the centre of the Milky Way.
At the dawn of 2012, our 50th anniversary year, we are ready to enter a new era, one that not even the initial bold dreams of ESO’s founding members could have anticipated. Extremely large telescopes will seek to answer some of humanity’s most demanding questions. It is undoubtedly one of the most exciting times to be an astronomer, and even more so to be an astronomer in an ESO Member State.
I would like to say a big thank you to all ESO staff, past and present — for it is your professionalism, ingenuity and passion that have made ESO the most productive observatory in the world.
On behalf of ESO, I would also like to thank the Council and Committee members and the former Directors General for leading the observatory to new heights in astronomy. It is a great honour for me to be at the helm of ESO today, during a revolutionary period.
The year 2012 is also a time to congratulate all our Member States. The five founding members have been joined by Denmark (1967), Switzerland (1982), Italy (1982), Portugal (2001), the United Kingdom (2002), Finland (2004), Spain (2007), the Czech Republic (2007), Austria (2009), and Brazil, who will become the 15th, as well as the first non-European, Member State after parliamentary ratification of the Accession Agreement signed in December 2010. The Member States have adhered to ESO’s courageous plans to lead ground-based astronomy, and offered us constant support and top-level people.
The scientific community is to be congratulated for keeping astronomy at the forefront of scientific research, as well as our supporters and international partners for believing in our ambitious projects. ESO owes its success in a large part to these collaborations!
To all of you, happy 50th anniversary!
Tim de Zeeuw, ESO Director General
Segðu okkur þitt álit!
Subscribe to receive news from ESO in your language