ESO science operations delayed due to COVID-19
Bad news regarding science operations at ESO observatories. The European Southern Observatory has confirmed that calls for proposal for Period 107 (April-October 2021) are suspended. The decision was made after an in depth analysis of the commitments already taken for Period 105 and 106 (October 2020-March 2021). At the La Silla Paranal Observatory, almost the entire observing time allocated for April-September 2020
Last NEO observations before lockdown
Our Neorocker, Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences (CAS), was at the European Southern Observatory just before it was temporarily shut down, due to the global health emergency. CAS had an observing run at the 1.54-m Danish telescope on the La Silla station of the European Southern Observatory in Chile from March 16 to 23. They took rich photometric
Asteroid 1998 OR2 safely passing earth TODAY!
An asteroid over 1 mile (2km) wide passes relatively close to Earth, today April 29 2020. While Asteroid 1998 OR2 is considered a "close approach" by astronomers, it it still very far away: The asteroid will come to about 3.9 million miles (6.3 million kilometres) away, passing more than 16 times farther away than the Moon. The Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico