On 19 October, the second edition of the CTAO Werner Hofmann Scientific Award was presented at the CTAO Construction Meeting in La Palma, Spain. Following a rigorous nomination and review process by an international panel of experts, the award was given to Dr. Georg Schwefer, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics … Continued
On Friday, 16 October, the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory ERIC (CTAO ERIC) signed an updated hosting agreement for the CTAO’s southern hemisphere array, CTAO-South, located at ESO’s Paranal Observatory in the Atacama Desert, Chile. The document, signed by CTAO Director General Stuart McMuldroch and ESO Director General Andreas Kaufer, … Continued
On Friday, 18 September 2026, the Dal Ben S.p.A. headquarters in San Stino di Livenza, Italy, hosted an exceptional gathering. National and regional media representatives, alongside members of the CTAO SST Collaboration and the CTAO Central Organisation, came together for an exclusive press event to witness the shipping preparations for the very first Small-Sized Telescope … Continued
Bologna, Italy — On 20 July, the Netherlands officially joined the CTAO ERIC as an Observer. The admission, which was unanimously approved by the CTAO ERIC Council, reinforces the strong, long-standing partnership between the Dutch scientific community and the Observatory. With the addition of the Netherlands, the CTAO ERIC is now supported by a growing international coalition comprising 11 countries and one intergovernmental organisation. Under … Continued
On Thursday, 12 March, Anna Maria Bernini, the Italian Minister of University and Research, travelled to ESO’s Paranal Observatory in the Atacama Desert, Chile. Her visit included tours of ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) and CTAO-South, the CTAO’s telescope array site in the southern hemisphere. She was accompanied by a small delegation that included Valeria Biagiotti, Ambassador of Italy … Continued
On 3 February, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia (GZS) hosted the annual Big Science business meeting, an event designed to connect national companies and institutions with leading research organisations worldwide. This year, the CTAO was invited to play a central role in the event, giving the CTAO Director General, Stuart McMuldroch, a platform to present the opportunities for synergy between the Observatory and the Slovenian industrial community. The event, … Continued
Credit: Massimiliano Donati
2025 has been a year of profound transformation for the CTAO. We began this journey in January with a historic milestone: officially becoming an ERIC. This marked the official start of the CTAO construction phase. A major step forward. This year we have seen the growth of our staff and the capabilities of our organisation. … Continued
Paranal, Chile, 17 December 2025 — Representatives from the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO), the European Southern Observatory (ESO), and governmental authorities gathered today to celebrate the official groundbreaking of the CTAO’s southern site, CTAO-South. After years of successful site preparations, the event marked the beginning of construction on the telescope foundations, paving the way for … Continued
On 2–3 December, the CTAO Central Organisation’s Telescope team visited the facilities of the Italian company Dal Ben, located in the Veneto region, to conduct the Test Readiness Review (TRR) for the electromechanical structure of the Small-Sized Telescope (SST). After the CTAO SST Collaboration completed the integration of the first SST telescope at the facility, … Continued