The rotation of a protoplanetary disc (a disc where planets are being formed) has been observed directly for the very first time by mapping the emissions from the dust grains […]
ESO,
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Press Release
Kick-off Of Feasibility Study For A New Generation Of European ALMA Receivers
On 13 April 2026, ESO held the kick-off meeting for the Feasibility Study for a new generation of European ALMA receivers covering the 125–211 GHz band (ESO-654032) at the INAF-OAS […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
First Light For PoET: Shining (sun)Light On Exoplanet Research
The Paranal solar ESPRESSO Telescope (PoET), installed at the European Southern Observatory’s (ESO’s) Paranal site in Chile, has made its first observations. The telescope will work with ESO’s ESPRESSO instrument […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
A Solar System In The Making?
Astronomers have observed two planets forming in the disc around a young star named WISPIT 2. Having previously detected one planet, the team have now employed European Southern Observatory (ESO) […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Press Release
Astrochemistry In The Central Molecular Zone Of The Milky Way
Astronomers have captured the central region of our Milky Way in a striking new image, unveiling a complex network of filaments of cosmic gas in unprecedented detail. Obtained with the […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
The Future of Evolved Planetary Systems
Understanding the formation, evolution, and chemical diversity of exoplanets are now central areas of astrophysics research. White dwarfs provide a uniquely sensitive laboratory for studying the end stages of planetary-system […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Intelligence & Language, Interstellar, SETI & Technosignatures, Status Report
Optical SETI At ESO In The 2040s
The searches for other life and for intelligence are fundamental problems that science faces today. Most searches so far have been focused on radio, but optical laser communication is an […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Proxima Centauri
Conclusive Tests For The RISTRETTO Proxima b Exoplanet Explorer
The RISTRETTO project, dedicated to observing Proxima b –the closest exoplanet to the Solar System — is reaching a new milestone: several key components of this high-precision spectrograph have been […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Comets and Asteroids, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
SPHERE’s Debris Disk Gallery: Tell-tale Signs Of Dust And Small Bodies In Distant Solar Systems
Observations with the instrument SPHERE at ESO’s Very Large Telescope have produced an unprecedented gallery of “debris disks” in exoplanetary systems. Gaël Chauvin (Max Planck Institute for Astronomy), project scientist […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release
A Rogue Planet Is Growing At Record Rate Of Six Billion Tons Per Second
Astronomers have identified an enormous ‘growth spurt’ in a so-called rogue planet. Unlike the planets in our Solar System, these objects do not orbit stars, free-floating on their own instead.