ESO and the E-ELT

by Prof. Tim de Zeeuw (ESO)

Tuesday 23 Mar 2010, 17:00 → 18:00 Europe/Berlin

Universe

ESO and the E-ELT Tim de Zeeuw The European Southern Observatory is an intergovernmental organization for astronomy. Its mission is to enable scientific discoveries by constructing and operating powerful observational facilities and to organize collaborations in astronomy. ESO operates medium-sized optical telescopes on Cerro La Silla, the Very Large Telescope and Interferometer on Cerro Paranal, widely considered to be the most advanced optical/infrared observatory in the world to which the survey telescope VISTA was added recently, with the VST to come soon, and the sub-millimeter observatory APEX on Llano Chajnantor, all located in Northern Chile. ESO represents Europe in a partnership with North America and East Asia that is constructing the Atacama Large Millimeter/sub-millimeter Array on Chajnantor, to be completed in 2013. ESO is designing the European Extremely Large Telescope with a 42m primary mirror and adaptive optics built-in, to be constructed in the next decade. The talk will summarize the current program, will discuss the status of the E-ELT project and briefly touch on the science it will enable.