Seeing stars in a mountain environment

These 56 smiling students took part in ESO’s Winter Astronomy Camp 2017, which explored the theme of “Distances in the Universe”. The young astronomy enthusiasts enjoyed several astronomical sessions, including lectures, hands-on activities and night-time observations using professional telescopes. They also tried their hand at various winter sports and excursions. The Camp was held at the Astronomical Observatory of the Autonomous Region of the Aosta Valley, surrounded by the natural beauty of the Italian Alps, close to some of Europe’s highest mountains and under some of the clearest skies. The observatory is equipped with seven telescopes that were devoted to camp activities. The camp, organised by Sterrenlab, took place between 26 December 2017 and 1 January 2018, and was open to students aged 16–18. Later this year, the ESO Summer Astronomy Camp will be held under the dark skies of northern Portugal, organised by the Centre for Astrophysics of the University of Porto (CAUP).