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Clearest image ever of Betelgeuse’s companion | ESO News

Astronomers have finally obtained firm evidence that Betelgeuse, a famous star in the Orion constellation, is not alone. Using ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) they have obtained the clearest image ever of what likely is Betelgeuse B, a star orbiting

New 'exomoon' detection challenges cosmic labels | ESO News

Using ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT), astronomers have found an object in another planetary system that challenges astronomical labels. The object resembles a moon in that it orbits another object which in turn orbits a star. But the newly found ‘m

New exoplanet had been hiding for more than 10 years | ESO News

Astronomers have discovered a third planet orbiting the star Beta Pictoris using ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT). The new planet, Beta Pictoris d, is among the lightest exoplanets ever to be imaged from the ground. After the initial discovery, the t

3I/ATLAS likely formed in the outskirts of an old star system | ESO News

Using ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), astronomers have studied the relative abundances of carbon and nitrogen in 3I/ATLAS, the third interstellar comet discovered so far. Their findings suggest that the comet likely formed in the outskirts of the d

Strange winds reveal magnetic exoplanets | ESO News

Astronomers have found the strongest evidence yet that some planets outside our Solar System may have magnetic fields. Using ESO’s Very Large Telescope and the Gemini North telescope, the researchers measured wind speeds on seven very hot, Jupiter-li

Two planets spotted forming around a young star | ESO News

Using ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), astronomers have observed two exoplanets forming around the young star WISPIT 2. Both planets are gas giants, more massive than Jupiter, and are carving out gaps in the disc of gas and dust around their host st

An unexpected shock wave | ESO News

Astronomers are surprised by a mysterious shock wave around the dead star RXJ0528+2838, studied with ESO’s Very Large Telescope. The dead star moves through space creating a so-called bow shock, as the surrounding material is pushed away. Structures

What’s the true shape of a supernova? | ESO News

Astronomers have observed a supernova just a day after it was first detected. In the early stages of the blast, the explosion has not yet interacted with the material around the star, retaining its true shape. This initial shape has now been revealed

Rogue planet found growing at record rate | ESO News

Astronomers have found an intense ‘growth spurt’ in a rogue planet –– a planet that doesn’t orbit a star. Observations with ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) reveal that this free-floating planet is eating up gas and dust from its surroundings at a ra

Hayabusa2’s next target is smaller and faster than we thought | ESO News

Astronomers have discovered that the next target for Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft, the asteroid 1998 KY26, is almost three times smaller than previously thought, and spinning much faster than expected. This study was conducted using ESO’s Very Large

Look into the stunning RCW 38 star cluster

What lies behind this chaotic extravaganza? This video takes you on a journey across the star cluster RCW 38, located 5500 light-years from us.

First ever binary star found near Sgr A* | ESO News

Two stars have been found orbiting each other in the vicinity of Sgr A*, the supermassive black hole at the centre of the Milky Way. A young binary star system forming and surviving in this extreme gravity means that black holes are not as destructiv

First zoomed-in picture of an extragalactic star | ESO News

Thanks to ESO’s Very Large Telescope Interferometer, astronomers have taken the first close-up picture of a star outside our galaxy, more than 160 000 light-years from us. The star is surrounded by a giant cocoon of dust, revealing it is in the last

Most distant rotating galaxy yet is a space oddity | ESO News

New planet discovered orbiting closest single star to our Sun | ESO News

Record-breaking stellar black hole found nearby | ESO News

Clash of stars solves stellar mystery | ESO News

Survey reveals secrets of planet birth around dozens of stars | ESOcast Light

New link found between water and planet formation | ESOcast Light

Metal scar found on cannibal star | ESOcast Light

Using ESO’s Very Large Telescope, astronomers have found a metal ‘scar’ imprinted on the surface of a dead star. This video summarises the discovery.