... ESO is building what will be the World's largest optical telescope array, The Very Large Telescope (VLT). The VLT Project organisation is responsible for the design and construction of the Unit Telescopes, including enclosures, optics, adapter-rotators and coating unit. ... Unit Telescopes Overview - This page is outdated, an update is in process. ... Secondary mirror (M2 Unit) - This page is outdated, an update is in process. ... Coating Unit - This page is outdated, an update is in process. ...

Astronomy Picture of the Day . ... NGC 5307: A Symmetric Planetary Nebula . ... This picture taken by the Hubble Space Telescope was released last week. NGC 5307 is an example of a planetary nebula with a spiral shape. ... The layers of the Saturn Nebula give a complex picture of how this planetary nebula was created. The above picture, taken in April 1996 and released last week, allows a better understanding of the mysterious process that transformed a low-mass star into a white dwarf star. ...

We present IRAC and MIPS images and photometry of a sample of previously known planetary nebulae (PNe) from the Surveying the Agents of a Galaxy's Evolution (SAGE) survey of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) performed with the Spitzer Space Telescope. Of the 233 known PNe in the survey field, 185 objects were detected in at least two of the IRAC bands, and 161 detected in the MIPS 24 ЮМm images. ... We also explore the potential value of IR PNe luminosity functions (LFs) in the LMC. ...

... The double star 54 Leonis, spiral galaxy NGC 3198, and emission nebula NGC 3199 . ... The Large Magellanic Cloud, open cluster NGC 1664, and reflection nebula NGC 1788 . January 2 9, 2014: The Large Magellanic Cloud in Dorado is an excellent target for far-southern naked-eye observers, open cluster NGC 1664 in Auriga offers small-telescope owners nice views, and large-telescope owners can seek out reflection nebula NGC 1788 in Orion. ... Small telescope : Open cluster NGC 1664 . ...

... The Large Magellanic Cloud is a Dwarf Irregular galaxy in orbit around our own Milky Way. It is a large object, several degrees in size, and easily visible to the unaided eye in Southern Hemisphere skies. The LMC is located in the constellation of Doradus at about 5h30m Right Ascension, -68 degrees Declination, and lies at a distance of roughly 50 kiloparsecs (160,000 light years) from Earth. ...

... We sometimes use the word "nebula" to refer to galaxies, various types of star clusters and various kinds of interstellar dust/gas clouds. ... Early in this century, there was a great debate as to the nature of the nebulae like this one which at that time could not be resolved into individual stars. ... A typical galaxy is 100,000 light-years in diameter. ... M 42 shown) Reflection nebulae are clouds of dust which are simply reflecting the light of a nearby star or stars. ... M 1 shown) . ...

. INFRARED PROCESSING AND ANALYSIS CENTER

... We still have a long distance to cover before we leave the Milky Way Galaxy -- tens of thousands of lightyears, as a matter of fact -- so let's stop by some interesting objects on the way. ... But we have reached the edge of the Milky Way Galaxy. ... We don't know, but we do know that there are countless voyages left to take. To continue the virtual voyage beyond our galaxy, go to Kent Cheatham's "A Walk in the Stars" at http://www.ionet.net/~cheatham/astro/astrotour.shtml . ...

Astronotes Armagh Planetarium's Stellar Blog! ... Armagh Planetarium . ... Stars . ... Space Flight . ... This image of the Tarantula Nebula comprises one of the largest mosaics ever assembled from Hubble photos and includes observations taken by HubbleтАЩs Wide Field Camera 3 and Advanced Camera for Surveys, combined with observations from the European Southern ObservatoryтАЩs MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope which trace the location of glowing hydrogen and oxygen. ... Subscribe to Astronotes . ...

... GSAOI Home . ... Science . ... Despite vast increase in our understanding of the evolutionary nature of planetary nebulae (PNe) during the last three decades, a central question remains: where is the missing mass? Theoretical evolutionary tracks predict that all stars with masses in the range 1.4-8 M Sun should become PNe. ... Clearly, much of the mass of the planetary nebula shell must remain un-ionized, and much of it may be in molecular form. ... The Magellanic Cloud PNe are ideal for this. ...

... Here is a brief outline of the current theory of the events in the early history of the solar system: . A cloud of interstellar gas and/or dust (the "solar nebula") is disturbed and collapses under its own gravity. ... The gas cools off enough for the metal, rock and (far enough from the forming star) ice to condense out into tiny particles. (i.e. some of the gas turns back into dust). ... Once the larger of these particles get big enough to have a nontrivial gravity, their growth accelerates. ...

... ATNF Home . ... About ATNF overview . ... Australia Telescope Steering Committee . ... Tips on holding a viewing night . ... Multi-Wavelength View of the Interstellar Medium in the Large Magellanic Cloud . ... The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) has been surveyed in optical emission lines, X-rays, radio continuum, H I , and CO lines. ... Keywords: Magellanic Clouds - galaxies: ISM - ISM: general - ISM: structure - ISM: bubbles - supernova remnants . ... Structures of the Interstellar Medium in the LMC ...

In this gallery are many images of Low Surface Brightness Galaxies which have recently been discovered and analyzed. ... The central surface brightness of this galaxy is 24.28 . Malin 2 This galaxy is another huge disk galaxy with a scale length of 15 kpc and a redshift of 15000 km/a. The high surface brightness knot in one of its spiral arms actually has the same color, luminosity and H-alpha equivalent width as the entire Large Magellanic Cloud . ... Truly it is a Low Surface Brightness Galaxy. ...

... The world's largest optical telescopes, the VLT (Very Large Telescope Array) are located in Chile, country that was recently hit by the 7th most powerful ever recorded earthquake, which, very sadly, is now counting many fatalities. ... You would wonder, did the mirrors survive such a strong earthquake? ... Tom Barclay , PhD student at Armagh Observatory, is about to go observing there in two weeks. ... All ESO buildings are earthquake-proof" , answered Tom. ... 28 Feb 2010 23:01 . б© 2010 OASES . ...

... Creation of Space transportation system on the base of large length rope utilization . ... A given address contains the proposal to equip the International Space Station with the long rope and to create on that base a Space transportation system. ... A given system has the multifunctional purpose. ... The rope system could be the base for creating of alternative system of station angular orientation. To utilize the rope system to launch small satellites from the station and to return them back. ...

... Astronomy news . ... Double Engine Fuels Star's Remarkable Nebula . ESO has just released a stunning new image of a field of stars towards the constellation of Carina (the Keel). ... Interactions in this double system, surrounded by a dusty disc, may be the engine fuelling the star s remarkable nebula. The new image, showing a very rich field of stars towards the Carina arm of the Milky Way, is centred on the star HD 87643, a member of the exotic class of B[e] stars [1]. ...

... Meade Instruments Corporation . Telescopes ћ Binoculars ћ Microscopes . ... Asteroids can be observed, and their paths plotted in motion among the stars, through all Meade telescope models. ... Larger telescopes, including Meade DS-2000 series, LXD55 series, 8LX90 and LX200GPS, permit the observation of hundreds of variable stars throughout the sky. ... Larger telescopes such as the Meade LXD55 series, allow the observation of dozens of additional stars embedded in the nebula. ... about meade | ...

... 2011: . Detection of galaxies with large peculiar velocities . ... New galaxies with polar rings . ... The new catalog contains 275 galaxies. ... Radio galaxy RC J0311+0507, a unique object of the early Universe . ... The estimation of the stellar population age in the host galaxy via the multicolor photometry (BTA) and new infrared data (UKIRT, 2011), amounting to 0.8 Gyr results in the moment of its formation when the universe was about 0.5 milliard years old (z~10). ... Archive . ...

How to Reach Our Observatory . Location. ... The administrative centre, library, scientific laboratories, computer centre, hotel and apartment houses of the Observatory are located in the Observatory campus called as settlement Nizhnij Arkhyz , which is in 25 km to the south from village Zelenchukskaya. Nizhnij Arkhyz (local people's name is Bukovo because of the beech ("book" in Russian) forest surroundings) is located in a valley of river Big Zelenchuk at height 1300м above sea level. ...