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Here
is a selection of images officially released by
ESO, the
European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the
Southern Hemisphere,
or shortly the European Southern Observatory. I
have collaborated
to the production of these images serving as an
image processor. |
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NGC4945: The Milky
Way's not-so-distant Cousin
02
September 2009
ESO has released a
striking new image of a nearby galaxy that many astronomers think
closely resembles our own Milky Way. Though the galaxy is seen
edge-on, observations of NGC 4945 suggest that this hive of stars is
a spiral galaxy much like our own, with swirling, luminous arms and
a bar-shaped central region. These resemblances aside, NGC 4945 has
a brighter centre that likely harbours a supermassive black hole,
which is devouring reams of matter and blasting energy out into
space.
Official release page:
http://www.eso.org/public/outreach/press-rel/pr-2009/pr-31-09.html
Credit:
European Southern Observatory (ESO) |
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Cosmic Bubble NGC
6781
31
August 2009
This image was
captured with the ESO Faint Object Spectrograph and Camera (EFOSC2)
through three wide band filters (B, V, R) and two narrow-band ones
(H-alpha, OIII). EFOSC2 is attached to the 3.6-metre telescope at
ESO’s La Silla Observatory in Chile. EFOSC2 has a field of view of
4.1 x 4.1 arcminutes.
Official release page:
http://www.eso.org/gallery/v/ESOPIA/Nebulae/ngc6781-potw.tif.html
Credit:
European Southern Observatory (ESO) |
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Trifid Triple Treat
26
August 2009
Today ESO has
released a new image of the Trifid Nebula, showing just why it is a
firm favourite of astronomers, amateur and professional alike. This
massive star factory is so named for the dark dust bands that
trisect its glowing heart, and is a rare combination of three nebula
types, revealing the fury of freshly formed stars and presaging more
star birth.
Official release page:
http://www.eso.org/public/outreach/press-rel/pr-2009/pr-30-09.html
Credit:
European Southern Observatory (ESO) |
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A Look into the
Hellish Cradles of Suns and Solar Systems
19
August 2009
New images released
today by ESO delve into the heart of a cosmic cloud, called RCW 38,
crowded with budding stars and planetary systems. There, young stars
bombard fledgling suns and planets with powerful winds and blazing
light, helped in their task by short-lived, massive stars that
explode as supernovae. In some cases, this onslaught cooks away the
matter that may eventually form new solar systems. Scientists think
that our own Solar System emerged from such an environment.
Official release page:
http://www.eso.org/public/outreach/press-rel/pr-2009/pr-29-09.html
Credit:
European Southern Observatory (ESO) |
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The Galactic Glory
of NGC 2280
10
August 2009
The image was
captured with the ESO Faint Object Spectrograph and Camera (EFOSC2)
through three filters (B, V, R). EFOSC2 was attached to the
3.6-metre telescope at ESO’s La Silla Observatory in Chile. EFOSC2
has a field of view of 4.1 x 4.1 arcminutes.
Official release page:
http://www.eso.org/gallery/v/ESOPIA/Galaxies/NGC2280-potw.tif.html
Credit:
European Southern Observatory (ESO) |
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Double Engine for a
Nebula
05
August 2009
ESO has just
released a stunning new image of a field of stars towards the
constellation of Carina (the Keel). This striking view is ablaze
with a flurry of stars of all colours and brightnesses, some of
which are seen against a backdrop of clouds of dust and gas. One
unusual star in the middle, HD 87643, has been extensively studied
with several ESO telescopes, including the Very Large Telescope
Interferometer (VLTI). Surrounded by a complex, extended nebula that
is the result of previous violent ejections, the star has been shown
to have a companion. Interactions in this double system, surrounded
by a dusty disc, may be the engine fuelling the star’s remarkable
nebula.
Official release page:
http://www.eso.org/public/outreach/press-rel/pr-2009/pr-28-09.html
Credit:
European Southern Observatory (ESO) |
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An Eagle of Cosmic
Proportions
16
July 2009
Today
ESO has released a new and stunning image of the sky around the
Eagle Nebula, a stellar nursery where infant star clusters carve out
monster columns of dust and gas.
Official release page:
http://www.eso.org/public/outreach/press-rel/pr-2009/pr-26-09.html
Credit:
European Southern Observatory (ESO) |
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New portrait of
Omega Nebula's glistering watercolours
07
July 2009
The Omega Nebula, a
stellar nursery where infant stars illuminate and sculpt a vast
pastel fantasy of dust and gas, is revealed in all its glory by a
new ESO image.
Official release page:
http://www.eso.org/public/outreach/press-rel/pr-2009/pr-25-09.html
Credit:
European Southern Observatory (ESO) |
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Astronomer's new
guide to the galaxy: largest map of cold dust revealed
01
July 2009
Astronomers have
unveiled an unprecedented new atlas of the inner regions of the
Milky Way, our home galaxy, peppered with thousands of previously
undiscovered dense knots of cold cosmic dust — the potential
birthplaces of new stars. Made using observations from the APEX
telescope in Chile, this survey is the largest map of cold dust so
far, and will prove an invaluable map for observations made with the
forthcoming ALMA telescope, as well as the recently launched ESA
Herschel space telescope.
Official release page:
http://www.eso.org/public/outreach/press-rel/pr-2009/pr-24-09.html
Credit:
European Southern Observatory (ESO) |
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Milky Way's
super-efficient particle acceleretors caught in the act
25
June 2009
Thanks to a unique
"ballistic study" that combines data from ESO's Very Large Telescope
and NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, astronomers have now solved a
long-standing mystery of the Milky Way’s particle accelerators. They
show in a paper published today on Science Express that cosmic rays
from our galaxy are very efficiently accelerated in the remnants of
exploded stars.
Official release page:
http://www.eso.org/public/outreach/press-rel/pr-2009/pr-23-09.html
Credit:
European Southern Observatory (ESO) |
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Stellar family in
crowded, violent neighbourhood proves to be surprisingly normal
04
June 2009
Using ESO’s Very
Large Telescope, astronomers have obtained one of the sharpest views
ever of the Arches Cluster — an extraordinary dense cluster of young
stars near the supermassive black hole at the heart of the Milky
Way. Despite the extreme conditions astronomers were surprised to
find the same proportions of low- and high-mass young stars in the
cluster as are found in more tranquil locations in our Milky Way.
Official release page:
http://www.eso.org/public/outreach/press-rel/pr-2009/pr-21-09.html
Credit:
European Southern Observatory (ESO) |
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Giant Galaxy
Messier 87 finally sized up
20
May 2009
Using ESO's Very
Large Telescope, astronomers have succeeded in measuring the size of
giant galaxy Messier 87 and were surprised to find that its outer
parts have been stripped away by still unknown effects. The galaxy
also appears to be on a collision course with another giant galaxy
in this very dynamic cluster.
Official release page:
http://www.eso.org/public/outreach/press-rel/pr-2009/pr-19-09.html
Credit:
European Southern Observatory (ESO) |
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Two Galaxies for a
Unique Event
04
April 2009
To celebrate the
100 Hours of Astronomy, ESO is sharing two stunning images of
unusual galaxies, both belonging to the Sculptor group of galaxies.
The images, obtained at two of ESO’s observatories at La Silla and
Paranal in Chile, illustrate the beauty of astronomy.
Official release page:
http://www.eso.org/public/outreach/press-rel/pr-2009/pr-14-09.html
Credit:
European Southern Observatory (ESO) |
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A Curious Pair of
Galaxies
16
March 2009
The ESO Very Large
Telescope has taken the best image ever of a strange and chaotic duo
of interwoven galaxies. The images also contain some surprises —
interlopers both far and near.
Official release page:
http://www.eso.org/public/outreach/press-rel/pr-2009/pr-11-09.html
Credit:
European Southern Observatory (ESO) |
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Into the Eye of the
Helix
25
February 2009
A deep new image of
the magnificent Helix planetary nebula has been obtained using the
Wide Field Imager at ESO's La Silla Observatory. The image shows a
rich background of distant galaxies, usually not seen in other
images of this object.
Official release page:
http://www.eso.org/public/outreach/press-rel/pr-2009/pr-07-09.html
Credit:
European Southern Observatory (ESO) |
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Strong Winds over
the Keel - Carina Nebula shown in colourful detail
12 February 2009
The latest ESO
image reveals amazing detail in the intricate structures of one of
the largest and brightest nebulae in the sky, the Carina Nebula (NGC
3372), where strong winds and powerful radiation from an armada of
massive stars are creating havoc in the large cloud of dust and gas
from which the stars were born.
Official release page:
http://www.eso.org/public/outreach/press-rel/pr-2009/pr-05-09.html
Credit:
European Southern Observatory (ESO) |
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Black hole outflows
from Centaurus A detected with APEX
28
January 2009
Astronomers have a
new insight into the active galaxy Centaurus A (NGC 5128), as the
jets and lobes emanating from the central black hole have been
imaged at submillimetre wavelengths for the first time. The new
data, from the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) telescope in
Chile, which is operated by ESO, have been combined with visible and
X-ray wavelengths to produce this striking new image.
Official release page:
http://www.eso.org/public/outreach/press-rel/pr-2009/pr-03-09.html
Credit:
ESO/WFI (Optical); MPIfR/ESO/APEX/A.Weiss et al. (Submillimetre);
NASA/CXC/CfA/R.Kraft et al. (X-ray) |
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Frantic activity
revealed in dusty stellar factories
19
January 2009
Thanks to the Very
Large Telescope's acute and powerful near-infrared eye, astronomers
have uncovered a host of new young, massive and dusty stellar
nurseries in nearby galaxy NGC 253. The centre of this galaxy
appears to harbour a twin of our own Milky Way's supermassive black
hole.
Official release page:
http://www.eso.org/public/outreach/press-rel/pr-2009/pr-02-09.html
Credit:
European Southern Observatory (ESO) |
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A Sparkling Spray
of Stars
16
Dicember 2008
The festive season
has arrived for astronomers at the European Southern Observatory (ESO)
in the form of this dramatic new image. It shows the swirling gas
around the region known as NGC 2264 — an area of sky that includes
the sparkling blue baubles of the Christmas Tree star cluster.
Official release page:
http://www.eso.org/public/outreach/press-rel/pr-2008/pr-48-08.html
Credit:
European Southern Observatory (ESO) |
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Astronomers Dissect
a Supermassive Black Hole with Natural Magnifying Glasses
12
Dicember 2008
Combining a double
natural "magnifying glass" with the power of ESO's Very Large
Telescope, astronomers have scrutinised the inner parts of the disc
around a supermassive black hole 10 billion light-years away. They
were able to study the disc with a level of detail a thousand times
better than that of the best telescopes in the world, providing the
first observational confirmation of the prevalent theoretical models
of such discs.
Official release page:
http://www.eso.org/public/outreach/press-rel/pr-2008/pr-47-08.html
Credit:
European Southern Observatory (ESO)/F.
Courbin et al. |
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Unprecedented
16-Year Long Study Tracks Stars Orbiting Milky Way Black Hole
10
Dicember 2008
In a 16-year long
study, using several of ESO's flagship telescopes, a team of German
astronomers has produced the most detailed view ever of the
surroundings of the monster lurking at our Galaxy's heart — a
supermassive black hole. The research has unravelled the hidden
secrets of this tumultuous region by mapping the orbits of almost 30
stars, a five-fold increase over previous studies. One of the stars
has now completed a full orbit around the black hole.
Official release page:
http://www.eso.org/public/outreach/press-rel/pr-2008/pr-46-08.html
Credit:
European Southern Observatory (ESO)/S.
Gillessen et al. |
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Omega Centauri —
the glittering giant of the southern skies
02
Dicember 2008
Omega Centauri is
one of the finest jewels of the southern hemisphere night sky, as
ESO's latest stunning image beautifully illustrates. Containing
millions of stars, this globular cluster is located roughly 17 000
light-years from Earth in the constellation of Centaurus.
Official release page:
http://www.eso.org/public/outreach/press-rel/pr-2008/pr-44-08.html
Credit:
European Southern Observatory (ESO)/EIS |
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Astronomers detect
matter torn apart by black hole
18
November 2008
Astronomers have
used two different telescopes simultaneously to study the violent
flares from the supermassive black hole in the centre of the Milky
Way. They have detected outbursts from this region, known as
Sagittarius A*, which reveal material being stretched out as it
orbits in the intense gravity close to the central black hole.
Official release page:
http://www.eso.org/public/outreach/press-rel/pr-2008/pr-41-08.html
Credit:
European Southern Observatory (ESO) |
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APEX reveals
glowing stellar nurseries
11
November 2008
Illustrating the
power of submillimetre-wavelength astronomy, an APEX image reveals
how an expanding bubble of ionised gas about ten light-years across
is causing the surrounding material to collapse into dense clumps
that are the birthplaces of new stars. Submillimetre light is the
key to revealing some of the coldest material in the Universe, such
as these cold, dense clouds.
Official release page:
http://www.eso.org/public/outreach/press-rel/pr-2008/pr-40-08.html
Credit:
European Southern Observatory (ESO) |
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A Pool of Distant
Galaxies
The deepest ultraviolet image of the Universe yet
07
November 2008
Anyone who has
wondered what it might be like to dive into a pool of millions of
distant galaxies of different shapes and colours, will enjoy the
latest image released by ESO. Obtained in part with the Very Large
Telescope, the image is the deepest ground-based U-band image of the
Universe ever obtained.
Official release page:
http://www.eso.org/public/outreach/press-rel/pr-2008/pr-39-08.html
Credit:
European Southern Observatory (ESO) |
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Gone with the Wind
05
November 2008
M1-67 is the
youngest wind-nebula around a Wolf-Rayet star, called WR124, in our
Galaxy. These Wolf-Rayet stars start their lives with dozens of
times the mass of our Sun, but loose most of it through a powerful
wind, which is ultimately responsible for the formation of the
nebula.
Official release page:
http://www.eso.org/gallery/v/ESOPIA/Nebulae/wr124-fullres.html
Credit:
European Southern Observatory (ESO) |
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A claret-coloured
cloud with a massive heart
21 October 2008
A new image
released by ESO shows the amazing intricacies of a vast stellar
nursery, which goes by the name of Gum 29. In the centre, a small
cluster of stars — called Westerlund 2 — has been found to be the
home of one of the most massive double star systems known to
astronomers.
Official release page:
http://www.eso.org/public/outreach/press-rel/pr-2008/pr-37-08.html
Credit:
European Southern Observatory (ESO)
Astronomical data reduction has
been done with
THELI. |
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The Wild, Hidden
Cousin of SN 1987A
25 September 2008
Colour image of the
Circinus Galaxy based on ESO SuSI New Technology Telescope data
obtained in April 1993.
Official release page:
http://www.eso.org/public/outreach/press-rel/pr-2008/pr-32-08.html
Credit:
European Southern Observatory (ESO) |
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The Thousand-Ruby
Galaxy
2 September 2008
A prodigious pinwheel
shines in the darkness
ESO's Wide Field
Imager has captured the intricate swirls of the spiral galaxy
Messier 83, a smaller look-alike of our own Milky Way. Shining with
the light of billions of stars and the ruby red glow of hydrogen
gas, it is a beautiful example of a barred spiral galaxy, whose
shape has led to it being nicknamed the Southern Pinwheel.
Official release page:
http://www.eso.org/public/outreach/press-rel/pr-2008/pr-25-08.html
High-res image
at:
http://www.eso.org/public/outreach/press-rel/pr-2008/phot-25-08.html
Credit:
European Southern Observatory (ESO)
Astronomical data reduction has
been done with
THELI.
Thanks to Mischa Schirmer who kindly assisted me and gave me many
invaluable information about data reduction. |
