Starry skies above La Silla

Time-lapse video of the sky over La Silla, ESO's first observatory. Here the Milky Way plane sets parallel to the horizon and zodiacal light can clearly be seen.

Inaugurated in 1969, La Silla remains among the most scientifically productive observatories in the world. It hosts many advanced telescopes, including the world's foremost exoplanet hunter, HARPS (High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher).