Why do we aim for bigger and bigger telescopes, such as ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope currently under construction in Chile’s Atacama Desert? And how does the effort pay back, not only in terms of astronomical discoveries but also to the whole of society? Four special guests have answered these questions, so fasten your belt and get ready for a breathtaking discovery journey in the world of big telescopes!

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Why Do We Even Need Big Telescopes? (ESOcast 241)

Using ALMA, a team of astronomers have unambiguously detected a moon-forming disc around a distant planet for the first time. The planet is a Jupiter-like gas giant, hosted in a system still in the process of being formed. The result promises to shed new light on how moons and planets form in young stellar systems. This video summarises the discovery.

Peeking at a Distant Moon-Forming Disc (ESOcast Light 240)

A team of astronomers have released colourful new observations of nearby galaxies obtained with the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT) as part of the Physics at High Angular resolution in Nearby GalaxieS (PHANGS) project. By combining these new observations with data from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), in which ESO is a partner, the team is helping shed new light on what triggers stars to form. This ESOcast Light summarises the work.

Cosmic fireworks reveal newborn stars (ESOcast Light 239)

Who Turned off the Lights on Betelgeuse? (ESOcast 238 Light)

Part of the world-wide effort to scan and identify potentially dangerous asteroids and other near-Earth objects, asteroid hunter Test-Bed Telescope 2 (TBT2), a European Space Agency telescope hosted at ESO’s La Silla Observatory in Chile, has now started operating.

Testbed Asteroid Hunter Sees First Light (ESOcast 237 Light)

New observations with the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT) indicate that the rogue comet 2I/Borisov, which is only the second and most recently detected interstellar visitor to our Solar System, is one of the most pristine ever observed. This video summarises new findings on this mysterious alien visitor.

ESOcast 236 Light: First interstellar comet may be the most pristine ever found

The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration, who produced the first ever image of a black hole, has today revealed a new view of the massive object at the centre of the Messier 87 galaxy: how it looks in polarised light. This is the first time astronomers have been able to measure polarisation, a signature of magnetic fields, this close to the edge of a black hole. This video summarises the discovery.

ESOcast 235 Light: Astronomers Image Magnetic Fields at Black Hole's Edge

With the help of ESO’s Very Large Telescope, astronomers have discovered and studied in detail the most distant source of radio emission known to date. The source is a “radio-loud” quasar — a bright object with powerful jets emitting at radio wavelengths — that is so far away its light has taken 13 billion years to reach us. This video summarises the discovery.

ESOcast 234 Light: Most distant quasar with powerful radio jets discovered

Using a combination of telescopes, including the Very Large Telescope of the European Southern Observatory (ESO&#39;s VLT), astronomers have revealed a system consisting of six exoplanets, five of which are locked in a rare rhythm around their central star. This video summarises the discoveries and explains why this puzzling system is challenging our theories of how planets form.

ESOcast 233 Light: Six-Exoplanet System with Rhythmic Movement Challenges Theories of How Planets Form

Captured in astounding detail by ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), the eerie Skull Nebula is showcased in a new image in beautiful pink and red tones. This planetary nebula is the first known to be associated with a pair of closely bound stars orbited by a third outer star. This video offers stunning views of this object and tells the story of the three stars at its centre.

ESOcast 232 Light: Stars and Skulls

Using telescopes from ESO and other organisations around the world, astronomers have spotted a rare blast of light from a star being ripped apart by a supermassive black hole. This video summarises the findings.

ESOcast 231 Light: Death by Spaghettification

ESOcast 230 Light: Possible Marker of Life Spotted on Venus

A team of astronomers used ALMA and ESO telescopes to study a peculiar system, GW Orionis, and to identify the first direct evidence that groups of stars can tear apart their planet-forming disc, leaving it warped and with tilted rings. This video provides a summary of the findings, showcasing stunning observations and animations of GW Orionis.

ESOcast 229 Light: Planet-forming Disc Torn Apart by its Three Central Stars

Astronomers using ALMA, in which the ESO is a partner, have revealed an extremely distant galaxy that looks surprisingly like our Milky Way. This video summarises their findings.

ESOcast 228 Light: ALMA Sees Most Distant Milky Way Look-alike

Astronomers using ESO&#39;s Very Large Telescope have imaged a &#39;space butterfly&#39;, a planetary nebula known as NGC 2899. This video offers stunning views of this object and the science behind it.

ESOcast 227 Light: Stunning Space Butterfly Captured by ESO Telescope

ESOcast is a video podcast series dedicated to bringing you the latest news and research from ESO, the European Southern Observatory. Here we explore the Universe's ultimate frontier.

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