ESO in 2019, and galaxy evolution in the ALMA era

ESO’s Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) under construction in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile
Wednesday, February 6, 2019 - 15:00 to 16:00
Physics Hall, Stoyte House

Prof. Dr. Rob Ivison

ESO Director for Science

The European Southern Observatory (ESO) - with Ireland as its latest Member State - is conducting an ambitious programme, building and operating world-class astronomical observatories on the ground and fostering cooperation in astronomy.  In this presentation I will provide an update on recent progress in the various ESO programmes, the La Silla Paranal Observatory, the now fully operational Atacama Large Millimetre Array (ALMA), and what will be the world’s largest observatory, the 39-m European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT), under construction in Chile.  I will spend some time highlighting the ways in which Irish astronomers can take advantage of what ESO has to offer.  I will close with a look at the latest breakthroughs in our understanding of the formation and evolution of galaxies, based largely on observations with ALMA.