The
European Southern Observatory (
ESO, formally:
European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere; ) is a 16-nation intergovernmental research organisation for
astronomy. Created in 1962, ESO has provided astronomers with state-of-the-art research facilities and access to the southern sky. The organisation employs about 730 staff members and receives annual member state contributions of approximately €131 million. Its observatories are located in northern
Chile.