Science Users Information

These pages are aimed at ESO community astronomers and contain all the information required in order to prepare, execute, process and exploit observations with ESO facilities. They also provide information on the scientific activities taking place at ESO. Details can be accessed via the navigation menu.

ESO Science Announcements

Fast Track Channel FTC 117A Time Allocation

Published: 20 Aug 2026
The time allocation process for ESO telescopes for the first Fast Track Channel FTC 117A (1 September 2026 - 28 February 2027) has been completed. This was based on the scientific evaluation of the Distributed Peer Review (DPR). A total of 505 hours of Service Mode observations (excluding filler programmes) were allocated on the VLT/VLTI, which is 10% higher than the total time initially reserved for this first FTC call (460 hours). As a reminder, only VLT/VLTI Normal programmes with a maximum time request of 30 hours were offered in FTC 117A.
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Release of SPHERE Data Indicating the Presence of a Companion for Betelgeuse

Published: 19 Aug 2026
Betelgeuse is the most studied Red Super Giant. In 2024, through a reinterpretation of its long secondary period (LSP), a close orbiting stellar companion was suggested to exist, with a maximum elongation in December 2024. The goal was to search for this secondary component.
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First Data Release from the INSPIRING ESO Large Programme

Published: 23 Jul 2026
The first Phase 3 data release from the INSPIRING ESO Large Programme (1103.D-0797) is now available through the ESO Science Archive. This release provides fully reduced and calibrated VLTI/PIONIER observations obtained in the GRISM_H mode for eight post-AGB binary systems. 

The INSPIRING programme uses VLTI observations to study the inner rims of dusty circumbinary discs around post-AGB binaries.
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Call for Proposals for Period 118

Published: 15 Jul 2026
The Call for Proposals for observations at ESO telescopes in Period 118 (1 May 2027 - 30 April 2028) has been released. Please consult the Period 118 document before applying for time on ESO telescopes. All technical information about the offered instruments and facilities can be found on the ESO webpages linked from the Call for Proposals. The proposal submission deadline is on 22 September 2026, 12:00 CEST.
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ESO’s first Fast Track Channel Call 117A Proposal Submission Statistics

Published: 15 Jul 2026
ESO received 244 valid proposals for its first Fast Track Channel (FTC) call 117A (1 September 2026 – 28 February 2027). The deadline for proposal submission was 15 June 2026. The total time request amounted to approximately 1970 hours (of which 80 hours were Target-of-Opportunity requests), for a total available time of 460 hours for this first FTC call. This corresponds to a mean oversubscription factor of 4.3, comparable to that of the previous Yearly Cycle (P117). The telescope with the highest oversubscription is Melipal (UT3), with a total request of 643 hours (excluding ESPRESSO), corresponding to an oversubscription factor of 7.1 (again excluding ESPRESSO). The most demanded instrument was X-Shooter (406 hours), followed by ESPRESSO (307 hours, to be distributed among several UTs; labelled as ICCF1 in the above graph), and MUSE (236 hours). As a reminder, only VLT/I Normal programmes with a maximum time request of 30 hours were offered in this first FTC call.
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The Messenger

The Messenger 196 is now available. Highlights include:

  • Matrà, L.: Exocometary Belts Transformed by ALMA
  • Andreani, P., Díaz Trigo, M.: ALMA–CTAO Synergies
  • Péroux, C., Mérand, A. et al.: Report on the ESO workshop "VLT Beyond 2030 and Call for White Papers”

The ESO Science Newsletter

The July 2026 issue is now available.

The ESO Science Newsletter, mailed approximately once per month, presents the most recent announcements. Subscription is controlled through the Manage Profile link on the User Portal. Back issues (2013-) are archived.

Citing ESO data in research papers

Researchers are kindly asked to indicate the identifiers (programme IDs or Data DOIs) of the (new or archival) observations they used in their papers as explained in ESO’s data citation policy. This enables the telbib curators to cross-link research output to make data Findabie, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable as suggested by the FAIR Principles.  

Pitch Your Research to ESO COMM

Are you an author on an upcoming scientific study based on ESO data that could be relevant to journalists or the wider public? Or are you a Principal Investigator on ESO observations with potential to become stunning images? If so, please consider sending to ESO your paper and/or a preview of the image(s) obtained with ESO telescopes.