Deep Space Mysteries

The light-gathering power of the European Extremely Large Telescope will exceed that of all the professional telescopes currently operating, and its adaptive optics systems will produce images far sharper than any other telescope. These features will take us into a new era of observational astronomy, an era in which we will explore some of the most pressing questions about the Universe.

A re-enactment of the famous paradox known as the "infinite monkey theorem."

Scientists have created an important new simulation of cosmic evolution. It takes place in a virtual cube 350 million light-years squared, and spans a time period from 12 million years after the Big Bang to the present day.

Astronomy is big science. It's a vast Universe out there, and the exploration of the cosmos requires huge instruments.

How state-of-the-art technology gives the Very Large Telescope in Chile an unequalled view of the Universe. Astronomers overcome distortions from the atmosphere and the large mirrors to get amazingly sharp images.

Inspired by John Milton's description of the galaxy: "A broad and ample road, whose dust is gold, and pavement stars, - as stars to thee appear seen in the galaxy, that milky way which nightly as a circling zone thou seest powder'd with stars.

This video explores the upheaval in our understanding of the universe brought on by the discovery that the universe is not just expanding, but is accelerating outward at an ever increasing pace.

Spectacular star-filled nights frame the telescope array of the new ALMA project, where scientists are taking on the mysteries of the cold hidden reaches of the universe. From ESO.

Two groups of astronomers sought to find out how quickly gravity is reining in the expansion of the universe. Instead, they found that the universe is accelerating outward.

For those who find infinity hard to grasp, even troubling, you�۪re not alone. It�۪s a concept that has long tormented even the best minds, going back to ancient Greek thinkers who struggled to resolve its paradoxes.

In landmark observations, the MUSE instrument on ESO�۪s Very Large Telescope in Chile has given astronomers the best ever three-dimensional view of the deep Universe.

A large international scientific collaboration has now found that the energy output of galaxies has dropped to half what it was a billion years ago. Does this mean the universe is slowly fading into obscurity?

What if we could see the universe as a whole? For centuries, scientists have tried to discern the large scale structure of the universe.