Nebulae near the hot Wolf-Rayet star BAT99-2 in the LMC
Three-colour composite image of the highly excited nebula near the Wolf-Rayet (WR) star BAT99-2 in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), obtained in January 2002 with the FORS1 multi-mode instrument at the 8.2-m VLT MELIPAL telescope at the Paranal Observatory (Chile). It is based on three...
Nebulae near the hot binary star BAT99-49 in the LMC
The nebula around the hot double star BAT99-49 in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), obtained in January 2002 with the FORS1 multi-mode instrument at the 8.2-m VLT MELIPAL telescope at the Paranal Observatory (Chile). It is based on three exposures through narrow-band optical (interference)...
Centaurus A (NGC 5128)
This is a colour composite photo of the peculiar galaxy Centaurus A (NGC 5128) , obtained with the Wide-Field Imager (WFI) camera at the ESO/MPG 2.2-m telescope on La Silla. It is based on a total of nine 3-min exposures made on March 25, 1999, through different broad-band optical filters...
Close-up of N44C in the LMC
The N44C nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), obtained in January 2002 with the FORS1 multi-mode instrument at the 8.2-m VLT MELIPAL telescope at the Paranal Observatory (Chile). It is based on three exposures through narrow-band optical (interference) filters that isolate the light from...
High-resolution spectrum of the star HD100623 (raw)
A HARPS untreated ("raw") exposure of the star HD100623, of the comparatively cool stellar spectral type K0V. The frame shows the complete image as recorded with the 4000 x 4000 pixel CCD detector in the focal plane of the spectrograph. The horizontal white lines correspond to the stellar...
Giant star HD 47536
Sky area of 10 x 10 square arcmin around the 6th-magnitude giant star HD 47536 at which an exoplanet has been found in 2003 (reproduced from the Digital Sky Survey). The pattern is caused by internal reflections in the telescope from this relatively bright object.
Really hot stars
This unique image shows AB7, one of the highest excitation nebulae in the Magellanic Clouds (MCs), two satellite galaxies of our own Milky Way. AB7 is a binary star, consisting of one WR-star — highly evolved massive star - and a mid-age massive companion of spectral type O. These exceptional...
Sky field in Virgo cluster of galaxies
Larger region of the Virgo cluster, with the galaxies Messier 86 (at the upper edge of the field, to the left of the centre), as well as Messier 84 (upper right) and NGC 4388 (just below the centre). It is reproduced from a long-exposure Subaru Suprime-Cam image, obtained in the red light of...
Spiral galaxy NGC 300
Colour-composite image of the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 300 and the surrounding sky field, obtained in 1999 and 2000 with the Wide-Field Imager (WFI) on the MPG/ESO 2.2-m telescope at the La Silla Observatory.
Intracluster nebulae in Virgo cluster of galaxies
H-alpha image of a 4 x 3 arcmin2 region in the Virgo intracluster region. The image shows a compact HII region (in blue circle to the left) and a confirmed intracluster planetary nebula (in yellow and red circle at the top). The two other objects (in red circles) are additional planetary...
Chandra Deep Field South (Detail)
Sky field within the wide field imager (WFI) image of the Chandra Deep Field South (CDF-S), reproduced at full (pixel) size to illustrate the exceptional information richness of these data. This subfield measures 10.1 x 10.5 square arcminutes (2545 x 2635 pixels). Technical information: The...
Near-infrared spectrum of Epsilon Indi B
Near-infrared (0.9-2.5 µm) spectrum of Epsilon Indi B, obtained on November 16-17, 2002, with the SOFI multi-mode instrument on the ESO 3.5-m New Technology Telescope (NTT) at the La Silla Observatory (Chile) The total integration time is 360 sec. Regions of strong absorption in the Earth's...
Selected galaxies in Chandra Deep Field South
Collection of twelve subfields from the full wide field imager Chandra Deep Field South (WFI CDF-S), centred on (pairs or groups of) galaxies. Each of the subfields measures 2.5 x 2.5 square arcminutes (635 x 658 pix 2 ; 1 pixel = 0.238 arcsec). North is up and East is left. Technical...
Chandra Deep Field South (detail)
Sky field within the wide field imager (WFI) image of the Chandra Deep Field South (CDF-S), reproduced at full (pixel) size to illustrate the exceptional information richness of these data. This subfield measures 6.8 x 7.8 square arcminutes (1717 x 1975 pixels). Technical information: The very...
Uranus with rings and moons
A near-infrared view of the giant planet Uranus with rings and some of its moons, obtained on November 19, 2002, with the ISAAC multi-mode instrument on the 8.2-m VLT ANTU telescope at the ESO Paranal Observatory (Chile). The moons are identified; the unidentified, round object to the left...
Which ringed planet...!?
Near-infrared view of the giant planet Uranus with rings and some of its moons, obtained on November 19, 2002, with the ISAAC multi-mode instrument on the 8.2-m VLT ANTU telescope at the ESO Paranal Observatory (Chile). The photo shows Uranus surrounded by its rings and some of the moons, as...
Bright galaxies in the Virgo cluster
Sky field near some of the brighter galaxies in the Virgo Cluster. This image was obtained in April 2000 with the Wide Field Imager (WFI) at the La Silla Observatory. The large elliptical galaxy at the centre is Messier 84; the elongated image of NGC 4388 (an active spiral galaxy, seen from the...
The centre of the Milky Way
The centre of our Milky Way galaxy is located in the southern constellation Sagittarius (The Archer) and is "only" 26,000 light-years away. On high-resolution images, it is possible to discern thousands of individual stars within the central, one light-year wide region. Using the motions of...
"Hot spots" near radio galaxy 3C 455
The particle jets from the radio galaxy 3C445, as observed with the NRAO Very Large Array (VLA) radio facility ("a"; left) and with the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) optical/IR facility ("b" and "c"; right). Two plasma jets of fast particles emanate from the galaxy (weakly visible at the...
The centre of the Milky Way (detail)
An infrared NACO image of a ~ 2 x 2 arcsec 2 area, centred on the position of the compact radio source "SgrA*" at the centre of the Milky Way Galaxy; it is marked by a small cross. The image was obtained in the K s -band at wavelength 2.1 µm in May 2002 and the angular resolution (image...
The motion of a star around the central black hole in the Milky Way
The left panel shows an infrared NACO image of a ~ 2 x 2 arcsec 2 area, centred on the position of the compact radio source "SgrA*" at the centre of the Milky Way Galaxy; it is marked by a small cross. The image was obtained in the K s -band at wavelength 2.1 µm in May 2002 and the angular...
Pluto, Charon, and triple star "P126 A, B, C"
One of the images obtained with the NAOS-CONICA (NACO) adaptive optics (AO) camera mounted on the ESO VLT 8.2-m YEPUN telescope at the Paranal Observatory in connection with a stellar occultation by Pluto on July 20, 2002. The star was found to be triple - the three components (A, B and C), as...
Spiral galaxy NGC 4254
An image of the Virgo cluster spiral galaxy NGC 4254, with the "metal-rich" H II regions indicated. (VLT ANTU and FORS1).
Pluto, Charon, and triple star "P126 A, B, C"
One of the images obtained with the NAOS-CONICA (NACO) adaptive optics (AO) camera mounted on the ESO VLT 8.2-m YEPUN telescope at the Paranal Observatory in connection with a stellar occultation by Pluto on July 20, 2002. The star was found to be triple.
"Walking on the Moon" with the VLT
A small area of the lunar surface, on the rim of the 56-km crater Taruntius . This formation is located some 6° North of the lunar equator and near the intersection of Mare Tranquillitatis and Mare Foecunditatis in the Eastern hemisphere. It is late in the lunar "day" and the Sun is low above...
Spectrum of HII region -014+081 in NGC 4254
Observational evidence of the presence of hot and massive "Wolf-Rayet" stars in a metal-rich H II region (designated "-014+081") in the spiral galaxy NGC 4254, a member of the Virgo cluster of galaxies at a distance of about 50 million light-years. Comparison spectra of two types of Wolf-Rayet...
Rectified view of Cameron/Taruntius field
A computer-processed version of ESO Press Photo eso0222a , in which the lunar surface is now viewed directly "from above".
Chandra Deep Field South
Three-colour composite image of the Chandra Deep Field South (CDF-S), obtained with the Wide Field Imager (WFI) camera on the 2.2-m MPG/ESO telescope at the ESO La Silla Observatory (Chile). It was produced by the combination of about 450 images with a total exposure time of nearly 50 hours....
Outskirts of NGC 300
This is an astronomers' joy ride to infinity. Such a rarely seen view of our universe imparts a feeling of the vast distances in space. In the upper half of the image, the outer region of NGC 300 is resolved into innumerable stars, while in the lower half, myriads of galaxies — a thousand times...
Cepheids in NGC 300
Some of the Cepheid type stars in the spiral galaxy NGC 300 (at the centre of the markers), as they were identified by Wolfgang Gieren and collaborators during the research programme for which the WFI images of NGC 300 were first obtained. In this area of NGC 300, there is also a huge cloud of...
Distant galaxies behind NGC 300
An area in the outer regions of NGC 300. Disks of spiral galaxies are usually quite "thin" (some hundred light-years), as compared to their radial extent (tens of thousands of light-years across). In areas where only small amounts of dust are present, it is possible to see much more distant...
Location of the Lunar field imaged by NACO
Where is the NACO field at the Taruntius crater located on the Moon ? A 400 x 400 square km area surrounding this crater is shown in the right panel; it has been reproduced from a photo mosaique with 500-metre resolution based on exposures made in 1994 by NASA's "Clementine" spacecraft in...
MOS observation of spiral galaxy NGC 4303
The very efficient multi-object-slit observing technique with the multi-mode instrument FORS1 is demonstrated on the Virgo cluster galaxy NGC 4303. Nineteen moveable slits at the instrument focal plane are positioned so that the faint light from several H II regions in this galaxy can pass...
Cluster of galaxies CL0053-37 in NGC 300 field
The distant cluster of galaxies CL0053-37, as imaged on the WFI photo of the NGC 300 sky field. The elongated distribution of the cluster galaxies, as well as the presence of two large, early-type elliptical galaxies indicate that this cluster is still in the process of formation. Some of the...
Distant galaxies in NGC 300 field
A group of galaxies seen on NGC 300 images. They are all quite red and their similar colours indicate that they must be about equally distant. They probably constitute a distant cluster, now in the stage of formation.
Dark matter in CL 0053-37
A "map" of the dark matter distribution (black contours) in the cluster of galaxies CL0053-37, as obtained from the weak lensing effects detected in the WFI images, and the X-ray flux (green contours) taken from the All-Sky Survey carried out by the ROSAT satellite observatory. The distribution...
"First light" stellar spectra from Giraffe (detail)
A zoomed-in view of ESO Press Photo eso0219. The three strong absorption lines that are visible as horizontal, dark lines in the lower part of the photo are due to the common element Magnesium in the atmospheres of these stars (the Mg b triplet at wavelength 517 nm). The different intensity of...
Stellar clusters in NGC 4365
Colour composite of the elliptical galaxy NGC 4365, prepared from two exposures with the HST and one from the VLT. Many of the objects seen are stellar clusters in this galaxy. There are also a large number of background galaxies in the field. The distribution of "old" (red circles) and "young"...
"First light" stellar spectra from Giraffe
"First Light" test observation with the GIRAFFE spectrograph of about 50 high-quality spectra (10 min exposure at spectral resolution 7,000) of stars in the Milky Way disk, in the early morning of July 3, 2002. The stars have magnitudes of 12 - 16 and are all of solar type. The photo shows part...
In Tarantula territory (e)
This image displays a rich field NW of the centre of the Tarantula Nebula, with the globular cluster KMHK 1137[2] near the upper edge. This image is part of a reproduction of a composite colour image of the Tarantula Nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and its surroundings. The LMC is a...
The elliptical galaxy NGC 4365
Colour composite of the elliptical galaxy NGC 4365, prepared from two exposures with the HST and one from the VLT. Many of the objects seen are stellar clusters in this galaxy. There are also a large number of background galaxies in the field.
In Tarantula territory (c)
This image shows a part of the Tarantula Nebula region: in the upper left quadrant, a luminous lobe around a hot blue star and a neighbouring dark cloud. The Tarantula Nebula appears in the lower right quadrant of the image.
The central area of the Tarantula Nebula
The bright core of the Tarantula Nebula with the cluster of hot stars. Note also the wisps of luminous gas extending as "legs" from the central area - this is how the nebula got its creepy name.
In Tarantula territory (d)
The area of the young globular cluster NGC 2100 , located east of the Tarantula Nebula , at the extreme left edge of ESO Press Photo eso0216a and the field of this photo.
In Tarantula territory (g)
Colour composite image of the Tarantula Nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and its surroundings. It displays numerous "fingers" of dark material, lanes of cold gas and dust, that still hold out against the strong stellar winds in this area, SE of the centre of the Tarantula Nebula.
Filaments in Tarantula
Long and bright "filaments" of luminous gas in an area SW of the centre of the Tarantula Nebula.
Infant solar system in Ophiuchus
An enlargement of ESO Press Photo eso0214 showing the unusual "Flying Saucer" object in more detail.
Sky field in Ophiuchus
The image shows the a new stellar system, as imaged with the ISAAC multi-mode instrument on the 8.2-m VLT ANTU telescope at Paranal during the follow-up observations. The circumstellar disk is well visible in the left part of the field as a shadow in front of the nebula. Many background...
Infant Solar System in Ophiuchus
The image is a three-colour reproduction of the discovery image of strange-looking object (nicknamed the "Flying Saucer" by the astronomers), obtained with the SOFI multi-mode instrument at the ESO 3.5-m New Technology Telescope (NTT) at the La Silla Observatory. Compared to the unresolved...
Faint, distant cluster of galaxies
The image shows the sky region near the powerful radio galaxy TN J1338-1942 at a redshift of 4.1. The photo is a "negative" rendering (the objects are dark on a bright background) of an image obtained with the FORS2 multi-mode instrument on the 8.2-m VLT KUEYEN telescope (ESO Paranal...
Spectra from faint, distant galaxies
The spectra (brightness as a function of wavelength) for ten of the confirmed galaxies in the very distant, young cluster found near the radio galaxy TN J1338-1942 . Each galaxy displays a sharp peak in colour showing the signature of its hydrogen gas - this is the redshifted Lyman-alpha...
RX J0806.3+1527 stellar binary system
Image shows U and R filter images of the sky field around RX J0806.3+1527 (at centre of circle), obtained with the FORS2 multi-mode instrument on VLT KUEYEN. The object is brightest at the shorter wavelength (U-band) - reflecting its very high temperature. The image is reproduced from...
Spectrum of RX J0806.3+1527
The spectrum of RX J0806.3+1527, obtained with the FORS1 multi-mode instrument on VLT ANTU. Many emission lines of ionized helium (He II) and some of doubly ionized carbon (C III) and nitrogen (N III) are seen. They testify to the very high surface temperature of the stars in this system. The...
VIMOS integrated field-spectrum of Antennae Galaxies (detail)
An enlargement of a small area in ESO Press Photo eso0209b. This observation allows mapping of the distribution of elements like hydrogen (H) and sulphur (S II), for which the signatures are clearly identified in these spectra. The wavelength increases towards the top (arrow).
The Crab Nebula
The Crab Nebula (Messier 1), as observed by VIMOS. This well-known object is the remnant of a stellar explosion in the year 1054. The image is a composite VRI image obtained on March 4, 2002. The individual exposures lasted 180 seconds; image quality 0.7 arcsec FWHM; field 7 x 7 arcmin2; North...
Distant cluster MS 1008.1-1224
The distant cluster of galaxies MS 1008.1-1224 is some 3 billion light-years distant (redshift z = 0.301). The galaxies in this cluster — that we observe as they were 3 billion years ago — are different from galaxies in our neighbourhood ; their stellar populations, on the average, are...
M100 / NGC 4321
Messier 100, also known as NGC 4321, is one of the largest and brightest spiral galaxies in the sky, located at about 50 million light-years from us. A composite VRI image obtained on March 3, 2002. The individual exposures lasted 180 seconds, image quality 0.7 arcsec FWHM; field 7 x 7 arcmin2...
NGC 5364
The spiral galaxy NGC 5364 was the first object to be observed with the VIMOS instrument. This false-colour near-infrared raw First Light image reveal extensive structure in the spiral arms of the galaxy. The image consists of a 60 sec exposure of NGC 5364 on February 26, 2002; image quality...
First VIMOS spectra of faint galaxies
Some of the first spectra of distant galaxies obtained with VIMOS in Multi-Object-Spectroscopy (MOS) mode. More than 220 galaxies were observed simultaneously, an unprecedented efficiency for such a "deep" exposure, reaching so far out in space. These spectra allow to obtain the redshift, a...
ACO 3341
This photo of the galaxy cluster ACO 3341 is from a collection of the first images obtained with VIMOS. ACO 3341 is located at a distance of almost 500 million light years (redshift z = 0.037), comparatively nearby in cosmological terms. It contains a large number of galaxies of different sizes...
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