By Professor Tim de Zeeuw, Director General of ESO
Monday 14 December 2009 at 8:00pm
About Prof de Zeeuw
He received a degree in mathematics from Leiden University, the Netherlands, in 1976, and one in astronomy in 1977. He graduated with a PhD in astronomy from the same university in 1984.
Tim de Zeeuw's research concentrates on the formation, structure and dynamics of galaxies, including our own, the Milky Way. In Leiden, he led a group active in the construction of state-of-the-art dynamical models for galaxies, and their comparison to high-quality photometric and spectroscopic observations, with the aim of establishing the properties of dark matter halos around galaxies, probing the supermassive nuclear black holes, measuring the kinematics and dynamics of the different stellar populations, and ultimately understanding the process of galaxy formation. A significant second line of research is the study of the origin, structure, and evolution of young stellar groups in the Solar Neighbourhood.
He is married to astronomer Ewine van Dishoeck
About the European Southern Observatory
ESO was founded in 1962 and is comprised of 14 states in Europe. ESO is famous for building the largest and most technically advanced telescopes in the world, and these facilities provide access to the southern sky for European astronomers. One of the most well-known telescopes belonging to ESO is the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Paranal, Chile.
About the Christmas Lecture
The telescopes owned by the European Southern Observatory have made some of the most significant discoveries of recent times in astrophysics and cosmology. This includes the supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy, the most distant gamma-ray burst, the Earth-like planet Gliese 581c, and the most distant galaxy ever seen by humans. These telescopes are the envy of astronomers all over the world, and are destined to give us even more astounding discoveries in the future!
He will discuss the Very Large Telescope (VLT), the world’s most advanced visible-light astronomical observatory, is located on the 2600 m high mountain of Paranal, which also hosts the VLT Interferometer and two survey telescopes, the VST and VISTA. The third site is the 5000 m high Llano de Chajnantor, near San Pedro de Atacama. Here a submillimetre telescope (APEX) is in operation, and a revolutionary telescope – a giant array of 12 m submillimetre antennas (ALMA) – is being constructed in collaboration with North America, East Asia and Chile.
ESO is currently planning a 42-metre European Extremely Large optical/near-infrared Telescope, the E-ELT, which will become "the world’s biggest eye on the sky".
Astronomy Ireland’s Christmas Lecture will prove to be thought-provoking and will raise awareness of the benefits of a smart economy.
Order DVD HERE
Professor Tim de Zeeuw
ESO, the European Southern Observatory,
builds and operates the world's most advanced
ground-based astronomical telescopes...
Tim de Zeeuw has held tyhe position of ESO Director General since September 2007 and he was born in the Netherlands.
ESO, the European Southern Observatory, is the foremost intergovernmental astronomy organisation in Europe and the world’s most productive astronomical observatory. ESO provides state-of-the-art research facilities to astronomers and is supported by Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Several other countries have expressed an interest in membership including Ireland. Several prominent astronomers and astronomy groups in Ireland have expressed their views that Ireland should join, arguing that it would allow the growing number of astronomy graduates to continue their work in Ireland, and would also attract into the Irish economy the expertise required to sustain and develop the technology demanded by ESO facilities.
Professor de Zeeuw will give a very important talk on ESO and how it will advance astronomy in the future. He will give us a sneak peak behind the scenes of ESO and its vast array of powerful telescopes which are the envy of astronomers all over the world. He will highlight intimate details of the calibre of telescopes owned by the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and inform us on how they have made some of the most significant discoveries of recent times in both astrophysics and cosmology.
Book seats HERE
The lecture takes place in:
Admission: €7 (€5 members and concessions)
This lecture is also available to members nationwide on DVD, which you can order by credit card online HERE or by calling (01) 847 0777 (alternatively post a cheque or postal order to: December 2009 DVD, Astronomy Ireland, PO. Box 2888, Dublin 5). DVDs of this and past lectures are just €7 each (add €5 for P&P for any number of DVDs).