In January, the European Southern Observatory (ESO) publicly raised the alarm about the threat that the industrial megaproject INNA posed to the world’s darkest and clearest skies for astronomy, those of ESO’s Paranal Observatory and the site of the CTAO’s southern hemisphere array (CTAO-South). The project — by AES Andes, a subsidiary of the U.S. … Continued
On February 20, 2025, CTAO Director General Stuart McMuldroch, Emilia-Romagna Region Vice-President Vincenzo Colla, and University of Bologna Vice-Rector for Research Stefano Fanti, met in Bologna, Italy.
On February 12, 2025, Dr. Francisco Colomer was elected as the first CTAO ERIC Council’s Chair, bringing with him a wealth of experience in both astronomy and the management of international scientific projects. Currently serving as Programs Director for the Spanish Deputy Directorate General for International Consortia, Organisms and Research Infrastructures, under the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MICIU), Dr. Colomer has played a key role in shaping European research policy. In 2023, he coordinated the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the fields of Scientific Research, Innovation, and Space.
On February 12, 2025, the CTAO ERIC Council was formally established during its inaugural meeting in Bologna, Italy, solidifying the governance framework of the CTAO. Following the European Commission’s creation of the CTAO ERIC in January 2025, the newly formed Council plays a fundamental role in steering the organisation’s future. As the Observatory’s governing body, the Council brings together delegates from all governing parties that form the CTAO ERIC to oversee strategy and decision-making in pursuit of CTAO’s mission and objectives.
From 28 to 29 January, the CTAO ERIC participated in the ERIC Forum Annual Meeting at the Club University Foundation in Brussels, Belgium. During the event, Designated Director General for the CTAO ERIC, Stuart McMuldroch, signed the Memorandum of Understanding to make the CTAO the Forum’s newest member after the European Commission established it as an ERIC … Continued
Bologna, Italy, 7 January 2025 – On January 7, 2025, the European Commission established the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO) as a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC), furthering its mission to become the world’s largest and most powerful observatory for gamma-ray astronomy. The creation of the CTAO ERIC will enable the Observatory’s construction to advance … Continued
On November 25, Dr. Thierry Stolarczyk was appointed as the new Co-Spokesperson of the CTAO Consortium. He succeeds Dr. Rene Ong (UCLA), who was integral to leading the Consortium through significant milestones and pivotal developments over the past decade. We are very grateful to Rene for his long-term dedication and varied contributions to the progress … Continued
(English/Spanish) This week, CTAO Managing Director, Stuart McMuldroch, and Construction Programme Manager, Volker Heinz, traveled to the Canary Islands for a productive visit with the hosting partners at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) and colleagues from the CTAO Large-Sized Telescope (LST) Collaboration. The team was warmly welcomed at the IAC Headquarters in Tenerife … Continued
We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Maurizio Miccolis as CTAO’s new Project Manager. With more than 25 years of expertise in engineering and project management, Maurizio brings a wealth of experience in leading complex, high-profile scientific projects. Maurizio holds a degree in Electronic Engineering from Politecnico di Milano, Italy, and a PMP certification … Continued
On 15 October, Nadia Defrancesco was named the new Director of Administration for the CTAO Central Organisation, which is responsible for overseeing the design and implementation of the Observatory and managing its construction and operation. In this position, she will be responsible for a broad range of administrative activities such as Human Resources, IT, Finance … Continued