ESO Supernova groundbreaking ceremony

A groundbreaking ceremony for the ESO Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Centre took place on 24 February 2015 at ESO’s Headquarters in Garching, Germany. This event marked the beginning of the main construction phase of the facility.

The ESO Supernova will be a magnificent showcase for astronomy for the public. It is made possible by a collaboration between the Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies (HITS) and ESO. The Klaus Tschira Stiftung (KTS), a German foundation that supports the natural sciences, mathematics and computer science, offered to fully fund the construction and ESO will run the facility. The striking building was designed by the architects Bernhardt + Partner.

This picture shows the symbolic groundbreaking ceremony. From left to right: Patrick Geeraert, Christoph Göbel, Dietmar Gruchmann, Klaus Tschira, Tim de Zeeuw, Manfred Bernhardt, Patrick Roche.