Press Releases

1 December 2023: We are seeking a talented and motivated individual to support our exciting programme of events at the ESO Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Centre. If this sounds like you, send us your application by Tuesday, 9 January 2024.

1 December 2023: Since mid-2022, the James Webb Space Telescope has been providing fascinating images from the depths of space, from distant star-forming regions to even more distant galaxies. Now the new space telescope is coming to Garching in the form of a small exhibition: as a detailed model on a scale of 1:10, with hands-on instruments and information about the telescope's research, it will be on display in the ESO Supernova from 13 December.

6 October 2023: Little Major Tom: Into the Unknown brings the beloved characters of Tom and Stella to immersive domes in an exciting tale set in the year 2053. Teenage friends Tom and Stella live, laugh and train on a space station, honing their astronaut skills as they float above Earth. Stella is ready to dive into any challenge, while Tom is panicking at the thought of completing his first-ever spacewalk. But a massive hurricane is forming on Earth, and Tom must put aside his fears and accept a difficult space mission. If Tom and Stella fail, the consequences could be devastating for them — and for Earth. Dr. Peter Popp of both Softmachine and Reef Distribution and musician Peter Schilling, singer/songwriter and producer of the No.1-hit song “Major Tom (Coming Home)”, teamed up to create the 25-minute long science fiction film, Little Major Tom: Into the Unknown exclusively for fulldome theaters. The ...

31 August 2023: Summer will soon be winding to a close and to ensure that you have many fun indoor activities during the upcoming autumn season, we added new planetarium shows to the ESO Supernova programme. Explore the full activity calendar on our website and secure your tickets either online or at the ESO Supernova reception.

21 August 2023: Appearing on the front pages of newspapers worldwide, the first-ever image of a black hole was a landmark in astronomy. Starting this September, you can delve into the captivating tale of this ground-breaking result through our new full-dome planetarium film Black Hole: First Picture.

3 March 2023: Without them, we would not have navigation in our cars or mobile phones, accurate weather forecasts, and in fact many everyday items, either. Do you ask who they are? None other than artificial satellites!

3 March 2023: The children's show "Captain Snoop's Space Trip" now offers educational space adventures for children between 4 and 9 years.

16 March 2022: The stars and the cosmos are fascinating to all people - from early childhood onwards. Turning this curiosity into long-lasting interest in science is the goal of this very special cooperation: On 1 February 2022, the cooperation between the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Garching and the Forscherstation, Klaus-Tschira Centre of Excellence for Early Science Education based in Heidelberg, was officially launched. The aim is to offer training in early science education for educational specialists and teachers from preschool, kindergarten and primary schools at ESO Supernova in Garching. This will strengthen and expand the already existing ESO Supernova education programme. The Forscherstation, which has so far been active primarily in the Rhine-Neckar and the Rhine-Main area, thus also wants to promote early science education among educational specialists and teachers in the Munich area. Already now, an astronomy training course for educators is being conducted by the Forscherstation at ESO Supernova. ...

10 December 2021: What do the stars sound like? A new project that allows blind and partially sighted children and adults to ‘hear’ the Universe is now available in the ESO archive. Audio Universe: Tour of the Solar System takes the audience on an immersive journey inside a special spacecraft fitted with a ‘sonification machine’ that turns the light from objects in space into sounds.

14 October 2020: How do astronomers explore the Universe beyond the human senses? The newest show included in the ESO Supernova programme offers an insight into the greatest revolution in astronomy since the invention of the telescope.

24 April 2020: The ESO Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Centre programme will feature a new show called “Beyond the Sun”, focused on the delights and mysteries of exoplanet hunting.

23 December 2019: Starting on 2 February 2020, the ESO Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Centre invites you to an immersive extravaganza touring the Solar System: The Planets 360. The inaugural screening of the show will take place on the first weekend when the ESO Supernova opens its doors again after its brief intermission in January. A slight departure from our usual features in the planetarium but no less impressive, The Planets 360 planetarium show is driven by a recording of Holst’s The Planets suite performed by the 132-piece UK Philharmonia Orchestra accompanied by magnificent Solar System visuals featuring the latest images that have been captured by robotic explorers. Science, music and art fuse into a 360° spectacle that brings the Solar System to life. Follow the journeys of space probes as you soar to Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and other planets, all the while enjoying musical interpretations of each one. You can reserve a ...

30 September 2019: The newest addition to the ESO Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Centre’s programme, the show Out There — The Quest for Extrasolar Worlds, invites you to discover humanity’s quest for life on other planets, as we try to understand whether life in the Universe is the norm or the exception. Are you curious to learn how science caught up with fiction, what planets we first explored and how we discover new extrasolar planets nowadays? Then book your place at a show starting on 28 October 2019, in either German or English.

11 January 2019: Since it opened in April 2018, the ESO Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Centre has shared the wonders of the Universe with more than 55 000 visitors and captured the attention of audiences from around the globe. Now, the ESO Supernova’s extensive library of high-resolution images, stunning videos, educational texts and planetarium resources, as well as a digital version of its state-of-the-art astronomical exhibition, have been made freely available online.

6 September 2018: ESO is proud to announce a brand new addition to its collection of free high-quality planetarium materials produced by world-renowned astrophotographers, artists, technicians and musicians. The Sun, Our Living Star tells the story of our nearest star — our planet’s powerhouse, the source of energy that drives Earth’s winds and weather, and the ball of light that allows the very existence of life. The Sun, Our Living Star will be shown in the planetarium of the ESO Supernova from 7 September and is also available to download for free from the ESO website.

14 June 2018: ESO is proud to announce the release of Europe to the Stars, a brand new open-source planetarium show that tells the story of ESO’s exploration of the southern sky. This stunning movie takes viewers on an epic journey behind the scenes of the most productive ground-based observatory in the world. Europe to the Stars will be part of the programme at the ESO Supernova from Friday 22 June and will also be available to download for free from the ESO website from 1 August.

11 May 2018: The cutting-edge ESO Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Centre provides unforgettable learning experiences for students of all ages. Engaging workshops, tours and two new educational planetarium shows all capture the night sky’s incredible ability to inspire a love for science in young people. All educational activities are available free of charge.

27 April 2018: On 26 April 2018, the ESO Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Centre was officially inaugurated, and its doors will be open to the public from tomorrow 28 April 2018. The centre, located at ESO Headquarters in Garching, Germany provides visitors with an immersive experience of astronomy in general, along with ESO-specific scientific results, projects, and technological breakthroughs. All activities in the ESO Supernova will be free of charge during 2018, and shows and other events can be booked online.

31 August 2017: The European Southern Observatory (ESO) has signed a three-year partnership agreement with Softmachine Immersive Productions GmbH as a Technology Partner of the ESO Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Centre. Softmachine is an award-winning and innovative animation studio producing 360° fulldome content, with over 10 years of expertise and experience in immersive storytelling. Softmachine, the biggest fulldome producer and distributer based in Munich, produces 2D and 3D immersive content for digital theatres, planetariums, science centres, entertainment parks and VR experiences. The ESO Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Centre is a cooperation between ESO and the Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies (HITS). The building is a donation from the German foundation Klaus Tschira Stiftung (KTS) and the facility is managed by ESO. Under the terms of this partnership with ESO, Softmachine will provide a licence to show the highly-rated movie The Secrets of Gravity, lasting for 3 years from the opening of the ESO ...

27 April 2017: ESO is proud to publicly launch a running version of the cutting-edge Data2Dome project in partnership with Evans & Sutherland and the International Planetarium Society . This exciting new free system for planetariums delivers the complete collection of images and videos from ESO's frontline telescopes at La Silla and Paranal, as well as from ALMA, ESA/Hubble — and through NASA’s and IPAC’s Astropix project: NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope, Chandra X-Ray Observatory, GALEX, WISE, and NuStar, as well as ESA’s Planck and Herschel space telescopes. Data2Dome also delivers stunning fulldome images and videos, 3D models and music, as well as the latest press releases and blogs from all astronomy and space organisations worldwide, all at the click of a mouse — and for free! Data2Dome’s AstroCalendar module provides daily feeds of significant astronomical events such as spacecraft launches, planetary alignments, historical anniversaries and more. Astronomy is a dynamic discipline, with spectacular ...