Is Betelgeuse About to Explode? Dimming Red Supergiant Isn’t That Cool
Star’s dimming not a sign of imminent explosion: study shows Betelgeuse likely isn’t cold, just dusty. Late last year, news broke that the star Betelgeuse…
European Southern Observatory
Very Large Telescope Observes Extreme Exoplanet Where It Rains Molten Iron
Researchers using ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) have observed an extreme planet where they suspect it rains iron. The ultra-hot giant exoplanet has a dayside…
Rare Corona of the Planet Jupiter Caught in Stunning Image
Stars are surrounded by something known as a corona — a diffuse aura of plasma that appears to surround them in the sky. For the…
Very Large Telescope Captures Unprecedented Dimming of Betelgeuse
Using ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), astronomers have captured the unprecedented dimming of Betelgeuse, a red supergiant star in the constellation of Orion. The stunning…
A Stellar Fight With a Beautiful Outcome Caught by ALMA [Video]
Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), in which ESO is a partner, have spotted a peculiar gas cloud that resulted from a confrontation…
Tertiary Mirror Allows World’s Biggest Eye on the Sky to Image With Unprecedented Quality
ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), the world’s biggest eye on the sky, will have a pioneering five-mirror optical system that will allow it to unveil…
Interstellar Thread of Key Piece in the Origin-of-Life Puzzle Revealed by Astronomers
ALMA and Rosetta map the journey of phosphorus Phosphorus, present in our DNA and cell membranes, is an essential element for life as we know…
Black Holes’ Breakfast at the Cosmic Dawn Revealed by VLT [Video]
Astronomers using ESO’s Very Large Telescope have observed reservoirs of cool gas around some of the earliest galaxies in the Universe. These gas halos are…
Ancient Star Burst Discovered in Stunning New Milky Way Images From ESO Telescope [Video]
ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) has observed the central part of the Milky Way with spectacular resolution and uncovered new details about the history of…
First Giant Exoplanet Planet Found Around White Dwarf Star [Video]
ESO observations indicate the Neptune-like exoplanet is evaporating. Researchers using ESO’s Very Large Telescope have, for the first time, found evidence of a giant planet…
Hidden Giant Planet Discovered Around Tiny White Dwarf Star [Video]
The first evidence of a giant planet orbiting a dead white dwarf star has been found in the form of a disc of gas formed…
‘Asteroid’ Hygiea Could Actually Be Smallest Dwarf Planet in the Solar System
Astronomers using ESO’s SPHERE instrument at the Very Large Telescope (VLT) have revealed that the asteroid Hygiea could be classified as a dwarf planet. The…
Origin of the Elements: Heavy Element Born From Neutron Star Collision Detected for First Time
Newly created strontium, an element used in fireworks, detected in space for the first time following observations with ESO telescope. For the first time, a…
A Cosmic Pretzel: Twin Baby Stars Grow Among a Twisting Network of Gas and Dust
Astronomers using ALMA have obtained an extremely high-resolution image showing two disks in which young stars are growing, fed by a complex pretzel-shaped network of…
Galaxy’s Tranquil Halo Illuminated by Enigmatic Radio Burst [Video]
Astronomers using ESO’s Very Large Telescope have for the first time observed that a fast radio burst passed through a galactic halo. Lasting less than…
ALMA Captures Amazing Image of Microquasar SS 433
This is SS 433, a microquasar first discovered forty years ago and located about 18,000 light-years away in the constellation of Aquila (The Eagle). This…
How SPHERE Helps Protect Earth from Dangerous Asteroids
The unique capabilities of the SPHERE instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope have enabled it to obtain the sharpest images of a double asteroid as…
VLT Captures Glimpse of Ethereal Nebula Hidden in Orion Constellation
Hidden in one of the darkest corners of the Orion constellation, this Cosmic Bat is spreading its hazy wings through interstellar space two thousand light-years…