ESO stands for "European Space Observatory". It is an intergovernmental organization, consisting of European countries, that operates astronomical observatories and telescopes.
These observatories and telescopes are used to conduct research and make scientific discoveries in the field of astronomy, including the study of planets, stars, galaxies, and other celestial objects.
Some examples of ESO observatories and telescopes include:
- The Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile, which is the world's most advanced optical instrument and consists of four 8.2-meter telescopes.
- The Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile, which is an array of 66 radio telescopes used to study the early universe, star formation, and the formation of planetary systems.
- The VISTA telescope at Paranal Observatory in Chile, which is a 4.1-meter telescope used to conduct wide-field infrared surveys of the sky.
- The VLT Survey Telescope (VST) in Chile, which is a 2.6-meter telescope used to conduct wide-field surveys of the sky.
- The La Silla Observatory in Chile, which hosts several telescopes, including the 3.6-meter telescope and the New Technology Telescope (NTT)
ESO is also responsible for the development and operation of the future Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), which is under construction in Chile. The ELT will be the largest optical telescope in the world with a primary mirror of 39 meter in diameter.