Announcements

15 June 2017: The winner of the AstroCamp 2017 bursary offered by ESO has now been selected from almost 100 applications from about a dozen countries. ESO is delighted to announce that Eva Forrest from the United Kingdom is the winner of the ESO bursary. The standard of applications was extremely high, from a variety of enthusiastic future scientists and engineers keen to attend this year’s camp. The ESO bursary covers the full cost of the camp, providing Eva with financial assistance to participate in this potentially career-defining event. AstroCamp is an academic programme devoted to astronomy and physics, organised by the Centre for Astrophysics of the University of Porto (CAUP) and the Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences. The camp will take place from 6 to 20 August 2017 in northern Portugal, at the Centre for Environmental Education and Interpretation of the Corno de Bico Protected Landscape. The program is intended for ...

15 June 2017: The latest issue of the free magazine Science in School is now available online and in printed form. This European journal for science teachers offers up-to-date information on cutting-edge science, teaching materials and projects in science education, interviews with inspiring scientists and teachers, reviews of books and other resources, and many other useful resources for science teachers. It aims to promote science teaching by encouraging communication between teachers, scientists and everyone else involved in European science education. Some of the highlights of this issue include: an article looking at how structures in nature are inspiring the design of the buildings of the future; an interview with Nobel prizewinner Sir Paul Nurse; and an article looking at how the sensitivity needed to detect gravitational waves was achieved. Practical teaching activities for the classroom include: exploring how chemistry and physics are used to solve crimes; and an activity about the spread of ...

8 June 2017: We are proud to announce a brand new addition to ESO’s collection of free high-quality planetarium materials produced by world-renowned astrophotographers, artists, technicians and musicians. Out There — The Quest for Extrasolar Worlds tells the story of how human curiosity has driven us to look outwards for millennia, to discover and explore new and distant worlds and to find the unfamiliar and extraordinary forms of life that could exist in the mysterious realms of the Universe. The show is a production by The Swiss Museum of Transport Planetarium, directed and produced by Marc Horat, in cooperation with National Centre of Competence in Research PlanetS and ESO. The show lasts 30 minutes and is suitable for family audiences. Out There — The Quest for Extrasolar Worlds will transport viewers from this world to entirely new and foreign ones. The show features the primitive science fiction of early civilisations, to the future ...

6 June 2017: ESO and its Science Outreach Network are collaborating with the science education event organiser Sterrenlab and the Astronomical Observatory of the Autonomous Region of the Aosta Valley (OAVdA) to arrange the fifth ESO Astronomy Camp on the topic of Distances in the Universe. The camp will take place from Tuesday 26 December 2017 to Monday 1 January 2018 in the Aosta Valley, Italy. The camp will explore the theme of Distances in the Universe through several astronomical sessions, including lectures, hands-on activities, and night-time observations with the telescopes and instruments at the observatory. Social activities, winter sports and excursions will contribute to making the camp a memorable experience for the participants. ESO and OAVdA will be responsible for the scientific programme of the ESO Astronomy Camp, and will provide lecturers and material together with several other partners. The registration fee of €500 covers full-board accommodation at the hostel in Saint ...

4 April 2017: Applications are now open for the ESO-supported Summer AstroCamp 2017. AstroCamp is an academic programme in the field of astronomy and physics, stimulating curiosity and critical thinking, organised by the Centre for Astrophysics of the University of Porto (CAUP). The camp takes place from 6 to 20 August 2017, in a secluded and tranquil setting away from the stresses of urban centres. The program is intended for secondary school students from European Union countries, in one of their final three years of education before university. Students of all backgrounds will come together and take two courses consisting of daily lessons, assignments, and a final exam. Some highlights include: Observing the dark night skies with the naked eye and telescopes (including the Perseids meteor shower); Skyping with astronomers and physicists from different countries; A computational project, working with data from the world’s best telescopes; Social activities like hiking, sports, and film ...

31 March 2017: The latest issue of the free magazine Science in School is now available online and in printed form. This European journal for science teachers offers up-to-date information on cutting-edge science, teaching materials and projects in science education, interviews with inspiring scientists and teachers, reviews of books and other resources, and many other useful resources for science teachers. It aims to promote science teaching by encouraging communication between teachers, scientists and everyone else involved in European science education. Some of the highlights of this issue include: an article on the topic of gender identity and sexuality in science; a report on the teacher event “Bringing structures to life - new ways of teaching biology” and an article highlighting the role of our oceans in climate change. Practical teaching activities for the classroom include: an activity which uses the astronomical concept of parallax as a context for teaching geometry; microscale chemistry in ...

15 March 2017: School students from around the world are invited to take part in the 2017 Catch a Star contest. This is a European astronomical writing contest, with some prizes that will leave students starry-eyed! To participate, students should submit a written report on an astronomical topic of their own choice — for example, an astronomical object, phenomenon, observation, scientific problem or theory. Reports must be written in English and be no more than 5000 words in length. Contestants may work in groups of up to three students, plus a group leader who is not a student. Each submission must be emailed as a PDF file to astro.edu@gmail.com. The deadline for all entries is 17:00 CET on 20 December 2017. There will be five lucky winners chosen, and each winner will have the chance to carry out their own remote observations at the National Astronomical Observatory “Rozhen”, Bulgaria, or to hold a ...

20 February 2017: ESO is proud to announce its new collaboration with the Centre for Astrophysics of the University of Porto (CAUP) to support AstroCamp 2017, an astronomy-focused summer academic program for secondary school students. The Summer AstroCamp 2017 will be held from 6 to 20 August in northern Portugal, at the Centre for Environmental Education and Interpretation of the Corno de Bico Protected Landscape. On 25 February, the organisers will host a webcast to provide further information to prospective applicants and their families. The camp aims to stimulate students’ curiosity and critical thinking skills, particularly in the area of astrophysics, and to bring together students from different backgrounds and life experiences. Students will take two courses, which will have daily lessons, some assignments, and a final exam. Some highlights of this year’s programme include: Astronomical observation sessions, both with the naked eye and telescopes — including a session coinciding with the peak ...

11 January 2017: The winners of this year’s Catch a Star Contest have been announced. The top three prizes were awarded to: The Lost Planet, by Andrea Moral Suárez, Natalia Serrano López and Ana Sánchez Díez from Spain; Life on Mars, by Daniel Vilda Rodríguez, Daniel Sayad Pérez Peréz and Iván Rodríguez Lozano from Spain; and Dark Matter in the Classroom by Simona Stoyanova and Ognyan Simeonov from Bulgaria. A complete list of the winners can be found on the Catch a Star website. ESO is presenting a mounted astronomical image to each of the top five places and each winning team will also have the chance either to carry out remote observations at the National Astronomical Observatory “Rozhen”, Bulgaria, or to hold a video conference with a professional astronomer. Secondary school students from around the world were invited to take part in the contest. To participate students had to submit a written ...

6 December 2016: The latest issue of the free magazine Science in School is now available online and in printed form. This European journal for science teachers offers inspiring articles and hands-on activities for students in every issue. It aims to promote science teaching by encouraging communication between teachers, scientists and everyone else involved in European science education. Some of the highlights of this issue include: Blended senses: understanding synaesthesia; Under pressure: the role of Earth’s mantle in our climate; an interview with Andy Brunning, the mastermind behind Compound Interest; and a report on the European CanSat Competition 2016. Practical teaching activities for the classroom include: a primary school activity where pupils can “Be a magnet for the day”; Wind and rain: meteorology in the classroom for physics students; and Chembot: chemistry with robots. Science in School is published by EIROforum, a collaboration between eight European intergovernmental scientific research organisations, of which ESO ...

4 November 2016: More than 180 video applications from 25 countries were submitted for the 2016 ESO Astronomy Camp and the winners of the bursaries offered by ESO and the national partners have now been selected. The standard of applications was extremely high this year, with a variety of highly enthusiastic future scientists and engineers keen to gain a place at this year’s camp. ESO is delighted to announce that Lucia Mendes Cucchieri from Brazil is the winner of the ESO bursary. The ESO bursary covers the full cost of the camp and the associated travel for the student. The following students will also receive financial support from the national partners: From the Institute of Astronomy at the University of Leuven, Belgium, support for Lara Delbroek From the Stellar Astrophysics Centre at Aarhus University, Denmark, support for Jesper Holm and Sebastian Stangegaard From the German Astronomical Society, Germany, support for Malin Moll From ...

20 October 2016: An event aimed at getting young people involved with science, technology, engineering and maths will be taking place in Munich in November 2016, and ESO will be attending. FORSCHA is an annual science fair which encourages the public to, in their own words, “discover the future!”. This year, Landratsamt München has invited ESO to take part, inspiring the next generation with the wonders of astronomy. The ESO Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Centre is set to open on the ESO Headquarters site just outside Garching, Munich in November 2017, and construction work is currently nearing completion. Designed as a free and open source of astronomy education, the ESO Supernova is producing high-quality educational programming, in collaboration with our Education Partner Haus der Astronomie, for audiences of all ages. ESO will have a stand at the FORSCHA event with hands-on experiments and activities based on this programming, encouraging the participants to “see ...

17 October 2016: ESO, the world’s most productive ground-based observatory, will open its doors to the public on Saturday 22 October 2016 between 11:00 and 18:00 CEST. The event will be held at ESO’s Headquarters in Garching, near Munich, Germany. Visitors will have the opportunity to experience the world of ESO first hand by taking part in many different activities. The programme of activities for the day is now available. Our Open House Day is part of the Tag der offenen Tür that is taking place across the Garching research campus, as well as at several other local institutes. If you need help to find your way during the Open House Day, look for our members of staff, who are wearing name badges. As ESO is an international organisation, we have staff speaking several languages. Media representatives who wish to attend the event are asked to confirm their participation by contactingosandu@partner.eso.org. List of ...

10 October 2016: Centro Multimeios de Espinho have signed a three-year partnership agreement with ESO as a Technology Partner in the ESO Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Centre. Through this collaboration Centro Multimeios de Espinho is contributing to keeping this cutting-edge astronomy centre open for free so that students, teachers, friends and families can all enjoy an unforgettable educational experience. Centro Multimeios de Espinho is based in the city of Espinho, near Porto, Portugal, supported by the Associação de Desenvolvimento do Concelho de Espinho (ADCE). It is a science centre and a planetarium, but also creates original software for use in planetariums. The ESO Supernova will be a centre featuring spectacular planetarium technology, making them an ideal partner. Centro Multimeios de Espinho will be providing lifetime use, including updates, of pieces of its own software, such as Domeview on Windows. Their generosity is being reciprocated by ESO in the form of several partner benefits. ...

28 September 2016: On Saturday 22 October 2016 the European Southern Observatory (ESO) will open its doors to the public between 11:00 and 18:00 CEST at its headquarters in Garching bei München, Germany. This event is one of the Open House Day activities taking place across the whole Garching research campus, where several other institutes will also open their doors to the public. ESO can be found at location number 39 on this map of the campus. Some of the highlights of the 2016 programme are: See the ESO Headquarters buildings — join guided tours through the innovatively styled office building and technical building. Learn how ESO creates artificial stars, see what mirror prototypes for the European Extremely Large Telescope look like, and more. Find out more about the ESO Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Centre, currently under construction — planned to open in 2017, it will be the largest tilted planetarium in Germany, ...

13 September 2016: The latest issue of the free magazine Science in School is now available online and in printed form. This European journal for science teachers offers inspiring articles and hands-on activities for students in every issue. It aims to promote science teaching by encouraging communication between teachers, scientists and everyone else involved in European science education. Some of the highlights of this issue include: Galaxies: genesis and evolution; Self-healing aircraft wings: a dream or a possibility?; What stars are made of; and Measuring the explosiveness of a volcanic eruption. Science in School is published by EIROforum, a collaboration between eight European intergovernmental scientific research organisations, of which ESO is a member. The journal addresses science teaching both across Europe and across disciplines, highlighting the best in teaching and cutting-edge research. Numerous articles, as well as their translated versions in many European languages, can be found online. If you would like to ...

1 September 2016: Energie-Wende-Garching (EWG) have signed a three-year partnership agreement with ESO as a Planet Partner in the ESO Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Centre. Through this collaboration EWG is contributing to keeping this cutting-edge astronomy centre open for free so the public and teachers can enjoy an unforgettable educational experience. EWG was founded in 2007 with the aim of making a pioneering contribution to the protection of nature and the environment. EWG provides environmentally friendly and sustainable solutions in the important field of heat supply, using natural deep geothermal water as an energy source. The ESO Supernova will have a DGNB (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen or German Sustainable Building Council) certification for sustainability with respect to its “green economical, socio-cultural, technical and ecological aspects”. EWG’s role as an environmentally responsible energy supplier is in keeping with ESO’s policy on green energy, making them an ideal partner for the ESO Supernova. As ...

1 September 2016: HARVARD engage! COMMUNICATIONS have signed a one-year agreement with ESO as a Media Partner of the ESO Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Centre. HARVARD engage! COMMUNICATIONS specialises in strategic brand and corporate communication for enterprises, organisations and brands in the area of technology, e-commerce, digital lifestyle and digital business. Through this collaboration, HARVARD engage! COMMUNICATIONS will contribute to raising awareness of the new ESO Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Centre that offers Bavarian families, astronomy enthusiasts and tourists the opportunity to experience the Universe through an interactive astronomical exhibition, ten different guided tours and what in 2017 will become the largest tilted planetarium in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. “We want the ESO Supernova to be a place where people are genuinely engaged by science and technology.”, said Tania Johnston, ESO Supernova Coordinator. “HARVARD engage! COMMUNICATIONS strive to ‘make technology personal’ via people, stories and emotions, and this fits perfectly with our mission”. ...

28 June 2016: The construction of the concrete shell of the ESO Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Centre has been completed and the exciting “double-star system” design of the building is now coming to life. The ESO Supernova will provide visitors with an immersive experience of astronomy and ESO’s scientific and technological achievements. The building, donated by the Klaus Tschira Stiftung, has been designed by architects Bernhardt + Partner. Other companies involved in the planning and construction include Bollinger + Grohmann (support structure planning), engineering firm Hausladen (HVACR planning), engineering firm Burnickl (electrical planning),Grossmann Bau (rough construction), Frener & Reifer (facades) and more. Over 700 completely unique formwork elements for the concrete shell have been accurately designed from the architects’ 3D model. These crucial components were designed and built by the company Doka. Surveyors checked all formwork parts were in the correct positions, maintaining the necessary millimetre accuracy of the shell, before pouring the ...

16 June 2016: The latest issue of the free magazine Science in School is now available online and in printed form. This European journal for science teachers offers inspiring articles and hands-on activities for students in every issue. It aims to promote science teaching by encouraging communication between teachers, scientists and everyone else involved in European science education. From this issue onwards, reuse of articles and activities will be even easier as all Science in School content will be published under a Creative Commons attribution (CC BY) licence. CC BY lets you distribute, tweak, and build upon the articles, even for commercial uses, as long as you acknowledge the original author. Some of the highlights of this issue include: how plankton gets jet-lagged; teaching with Rosetta and Philae; using smartphones to measure the heavens; and cracking the genetic code. For students interested in science writing, a science writing competition is also being launched, ...