http://www.skyandtelescope.com.au 11provide long-term 8-m telescope access
at the required level,” she said. “The
ESO partnership provides Australian-
based astronomers with competitive,
merit-based access to all the telescopes
at ESO’s La Silla Paranal Observatory,
including the four 8-m telescopes that
comprise the Very Large Telescope and
its interferometer.”
Professor Chris Tinney, Professor of
Exoplanetary Science at University of
NSW, said that “Australian astronomers
have been seeking access to ESO for
the past two decades. It is wonderful
to have a partnership with one of the
world’s leading international research
collaborations realised in this Budget.”
Australian National University
Vice-Chancellor and Nobel Laureate,
Professor Brian Schmidt, said that
access to ESO’s facilities and other
facilities such as the next-generation
Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) and
Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio
telescope is crucial to the future of
Australian astronomy.
“Australia’s participation in
multinational collaborations like the
partnership with ESO, and the GMT
and SKA projects, will advance our
scientific and industrial capabilities,”
Professor Schmidt said.
Research excellence and first-class
facilities have always seen Australia’s
astronomers punching well above their
weight on the international scene. With
the advent of this strategic partnership
with ESO, that status will be enhanced
and advanced even further.La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor.
Paranal is home to the Very Large
Telescope (comprising four, 8-metre-
class telescopes that can operate singly
or in concert) plus two smaller survey
telescopes — VISTA (infrared) and the
VLT Survey Telescope (visible light).
ESO is also a partner in two
telescopes at Chajnantor: APEX, the
largest submillimetre-wavelength
telescope in the Southern Hemisphere;
and ALMA, the Atacama Large
Millimetre/submillimetre Array.
At Cerro Armazones, 20 kilometres
from Paranal and 3,000 metres above
sea level, ESO is building the first of
the next generation of ground-based
telescopes — the Extremely Large
Telescope, or ELT — which will have a
39-metre-diameter segmented main
mirror. First light is planned for 2024.Benefits
The Director General of ESO, Professor
Tim de Zeeuw, said the collaboration
between Australian astronomers and
ESO would lead to fundamental new
advances in science and technology.
“Australia has a long and rich
history of internationally acclaimed
astronomical research. The already
very active and successful astronomical
community will undoubtedly thrive
with long-term access to ESO’s cutting-
edge facilities,” Prof. de Zeeuw said.
According to Senator Sinodinos,
“This important partnership with a
world-class organisation will allow
Australia to maintain its researchexcellence in this era of global
astronomy, and provides crucial
opportunities for Australian influence
and technical and scientific input,
stimulating international research and
industry collaborations.”
“Importantly, the benefits of this
strategic partnership will be felt beyond
the research community,” he added.
“It will create new opportunities for
small and medium-sized businesses
to tender for contracts ranging from
heavy engineering, electrical and
mechanical engineering to the design
and development of precision optics,
electronics, sensors, and complex
instrumentation.”
Prof. de Zeeuw agreed, saying
“Australia’s expertise in astronomical
technology, including advanced adaptive
optics and fibre-optics, is ideally
matched with ESO’s instrumentation
programme. In turn, Australia will gain
access to industrial, instrumentation
and scientific opportunities at ESO’s La
Silla Paranal Observatory.”Reaction
Writing in the journal Nature
Astronomy, Professor Elaine Sadler
of the University of Sydney, said that
the astronomical community was
“delighted by the announcement” that
Australia would partner with ESO.
“This partnership will bring new
opportunities for Australian instrument
builders and powerful new links to
the European scientific and technical
and industrial community, as wellThe enclosures of the four unit telescopes that make
up the Very Large Telescope, stand majestically under
the clear skies of Chile’s Atacama Desert.J. COLOSIMO (COLOSIMOPHOTOGRAPHY.COM)/ESO