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ESO


Cosmological gamma-ray bursts and hypernovae conclusively linked

The ESO team has provided conclusive evidence linking cosmological gamma-ray bursts to hypernova explosions, suggesting a direct connection between the two events. The study uses unprecedented spectral data from the VLT KUEYEN telescope to determine the distance of the burst as approximately 2,650 million light-years.

SourceESO·JournalNature·DateJun 18, 2003

Hot spot cosmic accelerators

Researchers have obtained near-infrared images of the hot spots in radio galaxy 3C 445 using advanced instruments on the VLT ANTU telescope. The images show synchrotron emission associated with an intergalactic shock, providing evidence of cosmic accelerators far from the galaxy and its main jets.

SourceESO·JournalScience·DateNov 25, 2002

A glimpse of the young Milky Way

Astronomers uncover a star with extremely low element abundance, providing a unique window into the Milky Way's early stages. The discovery challenges current theories and offers hope for finding 'unpolluted' Big Bang material.

SourceESO·JournalNature·DateOct 30, 2002

Surfing a Black Hole

A star orbiting the massive Milky Way centre has been observed approaching the central black hole to within three times the distance between the Sun and Pluto. The new measurements provide conclusive evidence for the existence of a supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy.

SourceESO·JournalNature·DateOct 16, 2002

First image and spectrum of a dark matter object

A team of astronomers has directly observed a Dark Matter object, confirming the theory that it consists of small, faint stars in galaxies like our Milky Way. The detection was made using the Hubble Space Telescope and the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope.

SourceESO·JournalNature·DateDec 5, 2001

A very massive stellar black hole in the Milky Way Galaxy

An international team of astronomers has discovered a very massive stellar black hole in the Milky Way Galaxy, weighing 14 times more than our Sun. The black hole is located in the binary system GRS 1915+105 and feeds on a low-mass star through a steady flow of stellar material.

SourceESO·JournalNature·DateNov 28, 2001

Heavy metal stars

A team of Belgian and French astronomers have discovered three distant stars with extremely high Lead abundances, exceeding other elements heavier than Iron. This finding aligns with current stellar models predicting the buildup of heavy elements in stellar interiors.

SourceESO·JournalNature·DateAug 22, 2001

The glory of a nearby star

Scientists have successfully observed an optical coronal line from iron ions in a star called CN Leonis, located 8 light-years away. This achievement marks the first time such a detection has been made outside of our solar system and opens up new avenues for studying stellar cycles.

SourceESO·JournalNature·DateAug 1, 2001