The ESO Data Processing System (EDPS) is a new system to run the ESO data reduction pipelines. It will replace EsoReflex as the recommended way to process ESO raw data in 2026. An Alpha version of the Graphical User Interface has been released and can be used to run ESO pipelines for any of the currently active VLT instruments. While the documentation is still incomplete, the software itself is fully functional. It is significantly more performant than EsoReflex, and in some cases delivers better results due to better data organisation, default setup or workflow. ESO encourages the use of the EDPS GUI for new data reduction projects. Requests for support or any feedback can be submitted via the ESO support page.

ESO is extending the deadline for abstract submission for the conference "VLT beyond 2030" to 26 September 2025. The meeting will take place in Garching near Munich (Germany) and virtually on 26-30 January 2026.

Statistics of proposal submission for Cycle 12 have been released. Europe continues to be the region with the highest oversubscription rate (7.8 for time on the 12m array). The median time requested on the 12m array per proposal increased to its highest ever: 15.1 hrs. A detailed report is available. 

ESO is delighted to announce that the 2026 European ALMA school will be hosted by the Allegro ARC node in Leiden, the Netherlands, from 26 to 30 January 2026. Whether you are an intermediate user or have never seen ALMA data before, this is the event for you - and a great opportunity to meet fellow ALMA users from Europe and beyond. The school will cover a broad range of topics related to ALMA: basics of interferometry, data calibration, synthesis imaging, working with the ALMA archive, advanced data analysis techniques, and future ALMA developments.

Explore the full schedule and session details of the conference Planetary formation and Exoplanets in the ELT Era (EXO-ELT) at the Programme webpage. Don't miss your chance to register -the deadline is 24 September 2025. Register soon and join the discussions shaping the future of exoplanet science! The workshop will take place in Garching bei München between 17 and 21 November 2025.

This data release presents a wide-field MUSE mosaic of the nearby starburst galaxy NGC 253 (the Sculptor Galaxy), covering its entire star-forming disc. The mosaic combines 103 individual MUSE pointings in Wide Field Mode, spanning 20 × 5 arcmin² and totaling approximately 25 hours of on-source exposure. Most of the observations (101 pointings) were obtained without adaptive optics (AO) using short exposures (~850 s), while the two central nuclear pointings were observed with AO and longer integrations (~2000 s).

The La Silla Observing School 2026 will include lectures on the basics of observing techniques and will teach participants on how to prepare for observing with ESO telescopes. The participants will work on specific science projects within groups and observe with the NTT and the 3.6m at La Silla Observatory, after which they will reduce and analyse their datasets and present their findings to the public. Registration is currently open and will remain so through to the 30th September 2025. 

The Call for Proposals for observations at ESO telescopes in Period 117 (1 May 2026 - 30 April 2027) has been released. Please consult the Period 117 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 23 September 2025, 12:00 CEST.

ESO’s prestigious postdoctoral fellowship programme in both Garching (Germany) and Santiago (Chile) offers outstanding early-career scientists the opportunity to further develop their independent research programmes. From exoplanets to cosmology, observational, theoretical and fundamental astrophysics, these are all areas where ESO Fellows can benefit from a highly dynamic scientific environment, at some of the most advanced ground-based telescopes in the world. Do watch ESOCast 165 to hear what previous ESO fellows have to say about the fellowship programme or watch the virtual tour to ESO’s premises from 2020 or 2021 where young scientists could ask questions about the fellowship programme.

Are you a PhD student eager to dive into the cutting-edge scientific world at one of the most prestigious observatories on the planet? The ESO research studentship programme offers you a chance to do just that. This exceptional programme is open to students enrolled in a PhD programme in astronomy or related fields. You will continue your doctoral research under the formal supervision of your home university, but with the added benefit of spending a minimum of six months (Chile) or one year (Germany), and up to two years at ESO, working closely with a dedicated ESO staff astronomer.