The European Southern Observatories – enabling science now, soon and in the future

The European Southern Observatories – enabling science now, soon and in the future

Ground-based astronomy has long been a fundamental driver of our exploration of the cosmos. Yet, as powerful space facilities like JWST, Euclid and Roman provide new windows on the Universe, and the growing impact of satellite constellations on the night sky – is the era of ground-based astronomy coming to an end?

I will argue that the opposite will be true: not only will ground-based astronomy remain crucial – it will flourish in the coming decades and Chile will be central to this. I will focus in my talk on the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and will start by recalling its history and tight link to Chile before showing how advances in telescope technology and instrumentation are opening up new windows on the Universe that complement and extend the capabilities of space missions. From exoplanets and black holes to the formation and evolution of galaxies, current facilities are already delivering transformational science, and the 39m-diameter Extremely Large Telescope will provide a major leap on observational capability in an era where where space and ground-based facilities are increasingly interlinked.

Along the way, we will see how optical interferometry went from a niche to a revolutionary tool for high-resolution imaging and looking towards the 2040s and beyond, I will discuss the scientific and technical ideas that may shape ESO’s next major programme, as identified through the Expanding Horizons process.

Sebastián López
Coordinador de Coloquios
DAS/UChile  – slopez@das.uchile.cl