European Southern Observatory

The European Southern Observatory (ESO) is the pre-eminent intergovernmental science and technology organisation in astronomy. ESO carries out an ambitious programme focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities enabling astronomers to make important scientific discoveries.

ESO operates three unique world-class observing sites in the Atacama Desert region of Chile: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnator. The ESO headquarters are located in Garching, near Munich, Germany.

At Paranal, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope, the world’s most advanced visible-light astronomical observatory. ESO is a major partner in ALMA, the largest astronomical project in existence; at Cerro Armazones, ESO is building the 39-metre European Extremely Large Telescope, which will become “the world’s biggest eye on the sky” and whose operations will be fully integrated.