European Southern Observatory

The European Southern Observatory (ESO), formally the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere, is an intergovernmental science and technology organisation established in 1962 and supported by 16 Member States, host country Chile, and strategic partners. ESO designs, builds, and operates world-class ground-based observatories including La Silla, Paranal, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), APEX, and the Extremely Large Telescope programme. Its headquarters near Garching, Germany, develops telescope technologies, supports astronomers with data and services, and hosts the ESO Supernova visitor centre and planetarium. More than 750 staff serve over 22,000 users from more than 130 countries through astronomy research infrastructure, technology, archives, and international collaboration.