https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2507/ Select Language (en) (en) * International English * Dansk * Deutsch * Deutsch (Belgien) * Deutsch (Schweiz) * Deutsch (Osterreich) * English (Australia) * English (Ireland) * English (UK) * Espanol * Espanol (Chile) * Francais * Francais (Belgique) * Francais (Suisse) * Italiano * Italiano (Svizzera) * Nederlands * Nederlands (Belgie) * Polski * Portugues * Suomi * Svenska * Cesky Science User Portal [ ] Subscribe Contact Site Map Open Menu * About + ESO, the European Southern Observatory + Organisation + Mission-Vision-Values-Strategy + Director General o List of Directors General # Prof. Xavier Barcons # Prof. T. de Zeeuw # Dr. C. Cesarsky # Prof. R. Giacconi # Prof. H. van der Laan # Prof. L. Woltjer # Prof. A. Blaauw # Prof. O. Heckmann + ESO's Governing Bodies + Member States and Partners o Austria o Belgium o Czechia o Denmark o Finland o France o Germany o Ireland o Italy o Netherlands o Poland o Portugal o Spain o Sweden o Switzerland o United Kingdom o Australia (Partner) + ESO & Chile o ESO Representation Office in Chile + Travel and Contacts o Travel to ESO Headquarters o Travel to Vitacura Office o Travel to Guesthouse o Travel to La Silla o Travel to La Serena o Travel to Paranal o Travel to Antofagasta o Travel to Chajnantor o Travel to ELT Armazones + Visits to ESO Sites o Weekend visits to Paranal o Weekend Visits to La Silla o Media Visits o Virtual Visits o Artistic Visits + ESO and Society + Architecture at ESO + Collaborations with ESO + ESO Acronyms + Timeline + Sustainability o Environmental sustainability at ESO o ESO and the UN's Sustainable Development Goals o Diversity, Equity and Inclusion + Frequently Asked Questions o ESO o VLT/Paranal o APEX/ALMA o ELT o Privileges and Immunities o ESO & Australia + Dark skies preservation + Terms and Conditions * Images + Advanced Search + Categories o 360 Panorama o ALMA o APEX o Chile o Cosmology o ELT o ESO Supernova o Exoplanets o Fulldome o Galaxies o Galaxy Clusters o Illustrations o La Silla o Nebulae o Paranal o People and Events o Premises o Quasars and Black Holes o Solar System o Star Clusters o Stars o Survey Telescopes + Image Comparisons + Image Formats + Picture of the Week o 2025 o 2024 o 2023 o 2022 o 2021 o 2020 o 2019 o 2018 o 2017 o 2016 o 2015 o 2014 o 2013 o 2012 o 2011 o 2010 o 2009 o 2008 o 2007 + Top 100 o Large JPG Zip File (3.5 GB) o Original TIF Zip File (50 GB) + Usage of ESO Images and Videos + Wallpapers + Zoomable * Videos + Advanced Search + Categories o About ESO o ALMA o APEX o Chasing Starlight o Compilations o Cosmology o ELT o ESOcast o Events o Exoplanets o Feature Movies o Fulldome o Galaxies o Galaxy Clusters o La Silla o Nebulae o Paranal o Premises o Quasars and Black Holes o Solar System o Star Clusters o Stars o Video News Releases + Usage of ESO Videos and Images + Video Formats * News + Press Releases o 2021-2030 # 2025 # 2024 # 2023 # 2022 # 2021 o 2011-2020 # 2020 # 2019 # 2018 # 2017 # 2016 # 2015 # 2014 # 2013 # 2012 # 2011 o 2001-2010 # 2010 # 2009 # 2008 # 2007 # 2006 # 2005 # 2004 # 2003 # 2002 # 2001 o 1991-2000 # 2000 # 1999 # 1998 # 1997 # 1996 # 1995 # 1994 # 1993 # 1992 # 1991 o 1985-1990 # 1990 # 1989 # 1988 # 1987 # 1986 # 1985 + Announcements o 2025 o 2024 o 2023 o 2022 o 2021 o 2020 o 2019 o 2018 o 2017 o 2016 o 2015 o 2014 o 2013 o 2012 o 2011 o 2010 o 2009 + ESOblog + New on eso.org + Press Room o Broadcast Services o Media Visits o Copyright Notice + ESO Newsletters + Pitch your Research * ESOshop + Shop Products o Annual Reports o Apparel o Books o Brochures o Calendars o CAPjournals o Conferences o DVDs/Bluray/CDs o Educational Material o ESO Supernova Activities o Flyers o Handouts o Maps o Merchandise o Messengers o Mounted Images o Postcards o Posters o Reports o Stickers + View shopping cart + Checkout + Information o Bulk Orders o Purchasing Steps o Payment o Shipping o Staff Shopping o Terms & Conditions + Free Orders for Educators and Media * Telescopes & Instruments + Paranal Observatory o Very Large Telescope # VLT Instruments @ 4LGSF @ CUBES @ CRIRES @ CRIRES+ @ ESPRESSO @ ERIS @ FLAMES @ FORS1 and FORS2 @ HAWK-I @ ISAAC @ KMOS @ MAD @ MAVIS @ MOONS @ MUSE @ NACO @ SINFONI @ SPHERE @ UVES @ VIMOS @ VLT Test Cameras @ VISIR @ X-shooter # VLT Unit Telescopes Names @ Antu @ Kueyen @ Melipal @ Yepun # VLT Interferometer @ GRAVITY+ @ GRAVITY @ MATISSE @ NAOMI @ PIONIER @ AMBER @ MIDI @ VINCI # Auxiliary Telescopes o Survey Telescopes # VISTA @ The VISTA mirror @ VIRCAM @ 4MOST @ The VISTA surveys @ The VISTA consortium # VST @ The VST mirrors @ OmegaCAM @ The VST surveys o SPECULOOS o NGTS o Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory + La Silla Observatory o Swedish-ESO Submillimetre Telescope # SIMBA o New Technology Telescope # EFOSC2 # EMMI # IRSPEC # SOFI # SOXS # SUSI and SUSI2 o ESO 3.6-metre telescope # ADONIS # CASPEC # IRSPEC # HARPS # MEFOS # NIRPS # OPTOPUS # TIMMI/2 # Infrared Photometer/Spectrophotometer # Standard Photometer # Infrared Specklegraph # Infrared Speckle Interferometer # EFOSC o MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope # FEROS # GROND # IRAC & IRAC2 # PISCO # WFI # Infrared Photometer/Spectrophotometer o Swiss 1.2-metre Leonhard Euler Telescope # CORALIE o Rapid Eye Mount telescope o TRAnsiting Planets and PlanetesImals Small Telescope-South o Danish 1.54-metre telescope # CORAVEL # DFOSC # CCD camera # Hb Photometer # Two-Channel Photometer # Four-Channel Photometer # Six-Channel uvby-Hb Photometer o Telescope a Action Rapide pour les Objets Transitoires o ESO 1-metre Schmidt telescope o ESO 1.52-metre telescope # Boller and Chivens Spectrograph # Coude Spectrograph # ECHELEC # RV Cass Spectrograph o ESO 1-metre telescope # FIDEOS # Infrared Photometer # Single-Channel Photometer o ESO 0.5-metre telescope # Single-Channel Photometer # Double-Channel Photometer o Coude Auxiliary Telescope # CES o MarLy 1-metre telescope o Dutch 0.9-metre telescope # Walraven Photometer o Swiss T70 telescope o Bochum 0.61-metre telescope # Bochum Scanner # Bochum Photometer o Danish 0.5-metre telescope # Two-Channel Hb Photometer # Four-Channel uvby Photometer # Six-Channel uvby-Hb Photometer o Grand Prisme Objectif telescope o Swiss 0.4-metre telescope o Marseille 0.36-metre telescope o GRB Monitoring System o MASCARA o BlackGEM o ExTrA o Test-Bed Telescope + APEX o APEX-2A o ArTeMiS o ASZCa o CHAMP+ o CONCERTO o FLASH o FLASH+ o LABOCA o MPI_1.1THz o P-ArTeMiS o PI230 o PolKa o SABOCA o SEPIA o SHeFI + ALMA o Antennas o Transporters o Interferometry o Receiver Bands o ALMA Residencia + ELT + Technology for Telescopes o Active Optics o Adaptive Optics o Integral Field Units o Interferometry o Spectroscopy o Polarimetry + Instruments * Discoveries + ESO Key Astronomical Discoveries + Exoplanets + Gravitational Wave Sources + Black Holes o First image of a black hole o First image of the Milky Way central black hole o More about the black hole at the galactic centre + Gamma-Ray Bursts + Science Archive * Events + Press Events + Special Events o ESO at 60 o ELT Groundbreaking o Cafe & Kosmos in Munich o Awesome Universe o 100 Hours of Astronomy o The Eye 3D o IMAX(r) 3D Film Hidden Universe o Bond at Paranal + Exhibitions o ESO Permanent Exhibitions o EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF) + Astronomical Events o Total Solar Eclipse 2019 o The Comet McNaught 2007 o Deep Impact - 04.07.2005 o The Venus Transit - 08.11.2004 o The Leonids - 17.11.1999 o Solar Eclipse at ESO HQ - 11.08.1999 o The Leonids - 11.1998 o Mars Pathfinder - 1997 o Comet Hyakutake - 1997 o SL-9 and Jupiter - 1994 o Comet Hale Bopp - 1994 * Outreach + Education o Educational Material o Science in School o Teacher Schools o Previous Programmes # Catch a Star # Life in the Universe # Physics On Stage o ALMA Kids + Partnerships o Volunteer Translators o ESO Science Outreach Network o Collaborations in Chile # 2010 # 2009 o ESO Outreach Partner Organisations o Informal Educators o ESO Photo Ambassadors o ESO Music Ambassadors + Taking the First Picture of a Black Hole + Cosmic Gems + Social Media + For Planetariums + Webcams + Your ESO Pictures + European Astronomy Journalism Prize + Our Team o Students and Visitors o Join us + ESO Supernova + Data2Dome + ESOblog + Stars@ESO + AI Disclaimer * Products + Audiovisual and multimedia o 3D models o Apps o Mini-sites o Music o Planetarium shows o Presentations o Soundscapes o Virtual Backgrounds o Virtual Tours + Periodicals o Messenger o CAPjournal o Science in School + Print products o Annual Reports o Books o Brochures o Calendars o Conference posters o Flyers o Maps o Press kits o Reports o Postcards o Stickers o Printed posters o Paper models + Merchandise o Merchandise o Apparel o Mounted images o Stationery + Electronic products o Electronic cards o Electronic posters o ePublications o Virtual Backgrounds + Educational material + Exhibition material + Logos + Order in ESOshop * Business@ESO + Procurement at ESO + Industry Events + Technology Transfer o Technology Developed by Industries o Novel technologies by ESO o ESO know-how + Projects + Contact Information * Career Opportunities + Recruitment + Employment Conditions o International Staff Members o Local Staff Members (Spanish / English) o Fellows o Students o Paid Associates + Working at ESO + Other Information European Southern Observatory Kids Press Release Oxygen discovered in most distant known galaxy 20 March 2025 The picture shows a very small section of the night sky with stars and galaxies. There is an inset zooming in on the galaxy JADES-GS-z14-0. The image in the inset is a diffuse blue cloud with a bright white centre. Two different teams of astronomers have detected oxygen in the most distant known galaxy, JADES-GS-z14-0. The discovery, reported in two separate studies, was made possible thanks to the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), in which the European Southern Observatory (ESO) is a partner. This record-breaking detection is making astronomers rethink how quickly galaxies formed in the early Universe. Discovered last year, JADES-GS-z14-0 is the most distant confirmed galaxy ever found: it is so far away, its light took 13.4 billion years to reach us, meaning we see it as it was when the Universe was less than 300 million years old, about 2% of its present age. The new oxygen detection with ALMA, a telescope array in Chile's Atacama Desert, suggests the galaxy is much more chemically mature than expected. "It is like finding an adolescent where you would only expect babies ," says Sander Schouws, a PhD candidate at Leiden Observatory, the Netherlands, and first author of the Dutch-led study, now accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal. "The results show the galaxy has formed very rapidly and is also maturing rapidly, adding to a growing body of evidence that the formation of galaxies happens much faster than was expected." Galaxies usually start their lives full of young stars, which are made mostly of light elements like hydrogen and helium. As stars evolve, they create heavier elements like oxygen, which get dispersed through their host galaxy after they die. Researchers had thought that, at 300 million years old, the Universe was still too young to have galaxies ripe with heavy elements. However, the two ALMA studies indicate JADES-GS-z14-0 has about 10 times more heavy elements than expected. "I was astonished by the unexpected results because they opened a new view on the first phases of galaxy evolution," says Stefano Carniani, of the Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa, Italy, and lead author on the paper now accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics. " The evidence that a galaxy is already mature in the infant Universe raises questions about when and how galaxies formed." The oxygen detection has also allowed astronomers to make their distance measurements to JADES-GS-z14-0 much more accurate. "The ALMA detection offers an extraordinarily precise measurement of the galaxy's distance down to an uncertainty of just 0.005 percent. This level of precision -- analogous to being accurate within 5 cm over a distance of 1 km -- helps refine our understanding of distant galaxy properties," adds Eleonora Parlanti, a PhD student at the Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa and author on the Astronomy & Astrophysics study [1]. "While the galaxy was originally discovered with the James Webb Space Telescope, it took ALMA to confirm and precisely determine its enormous distance," [2] says Associate Professor Rychard Bouwens, a member of the team at Leiden Observatory. "This shows the amazing synergy between ALMA and JWST to reveal the formation and evolution of the first galaxies." Gergo Popping, an ESO astronomer at the European ALMA Regional Centre who did not take part in the studies, says: "I was really surprised by this clear detection of oxygen in JADES-GS-z14-0. It suggests galaxies can form more rapidly after the Big Bang than had previously been thought. This result showcases the important role ALMA plays in unraveling the conditions under which the first galaxies in our Universe formed." Notes [1] Astronomers use a measurement known as redshift to determine the distance to extremely distant objects. Previous measurements indicated that the galaxy JADES-GS-z-14-0 was at a redshift between about 14.12 and 14.4. With their oxygen detections, both teams have now narrowed this down to a redshift around 14.18. [2] The James Webb Space Telescope is a joint project of NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). More information This research was presented in two papers to appear in Astronomy & Astrophysics (https://aanda.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202452451) and The Astrophysical Journal. The teams are composed of: Italian-led, Astronomy & Astrophysics paper: Stefano Carniani (Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, Italy [SNS]), Francesco D'Eugenio (Kavli Institute for Cosmology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK [CAM-KIC]; Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK [CAM-CavL] and INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, Milano, Italy), Xihan Ji (CAM-KIC and CAM-CavL), Eleonora Parlanti (SNS), Jan Scholtz (CAM-KIC and CAM-CavL), Fengwu Sun (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, Cambridge, USA [CfA]), Giacomo Venturi (SNS), Tom J. L. C. Bakx (Department of Space, Earth, & Environment, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden), Mirko Curti (European Southern Observatory, Garching bei Munchen, Germany), Roberto Maiolino (CAM-KIC, CAM-CavL and Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, London, UK [UCL]), Sandro Tacchella (CAM-KIC and CAM-CavL), Jorge A. Zavala (National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Tokyo, Japan), Kevin Hainline (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA [UArizona-SO]), Joris Witstok (Cosmic Dawn Center, Copenhagen, Denmark [DAWN] and CAM-CavL), Benjamin D. Johnson [CfA], Stacey Alberts [UArizona-SO], Andrew J. Bunker (Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK [Oxford]), Stephane Charlot (Sorbonne Universite, CNRS, Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris, Paris, France), Daniel J. Eisenstein (CfA), Jakob M. Helton (UArizona-SO), Peter Jakobsen (DAWN and Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark), Nimisha Kumari (Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, USA), Brant Robertson (Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics University of California, Santa Cruz, USA), Aayush Saxena (Oxford and UCL), Hannah Ubler (CAM-KIC and CAM-CavL), Christina C. Williams (NSF NOIRLab, Tucson, USA), Christopher N. A. Willmer (UArizona-SO) and Chris Willott (NRC Herzberg, Victoria, Canada). Dutch-led, The Astrophysical Journal paper: Sander Schouws (Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands [Leiden]), Rychard J. Bouwens (Leiden), Katherine Ormerod (Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom [LJMU]), Renske Smit (LJMU), Hiddo Algera (Hiroshima Astrophysical Science Center, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan and National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Tokyo, Japan), Laura Sommovigo (Center for Computational Astrophysics, Flatiron Institute, New York, USA), Jacqueline Hodge (Leiden), Andrea Ferrara (Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, Italy), Pascal A. Oesch (Departement d'Astronomie, Universite de Geneve, Versoix, Switzerland; Cosmic Dawn Center, Copenhagen, Denmark and Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark), Lucie E. Rowland (Leiden), Ivana van Leeuwen (Leiden), Mauro Stefanon (Leiden), Thomas Herard-Demanche (Leiden), Yoshinobu Fudamoto (Center for Frontier Science, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan), Huub Rottgering (Leiden) and Paul van der Werf (Leiden). The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), an international astronomy facility, is a partnership of ESO, the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS) of Japan in cooperation with the Republic of Chile. ALMA is funded by ESO on behalf of its Member States, by NSF in cooperation with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) in Taiwan and by NINS in cooperation with the Academia Sinica (AS) in Taiwan and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI). ALMA construction and operations are led by ESO on behalf of its Member States; by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), managed by Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI), on behalf of North America; and by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) on behalf of East Asia. The Joint ALMA Observatory (JAO) provides the unified leadership and management of the construction, commissioning and operation of ALMA. The European Southern Observatory (ESO) enables scientists worldwide to discover the secrets of the Universe for the benefit of all. We design, build and operate world-class observatories on the ground -- which astronomers use to tackle exciting questions and spread the fascination of astronomy -- and promote international collaboration for astronomy. Established as an intergovernmental organisation in 1962, today ESO is supported by 16 Member States (Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom), along with the host state of Chile and with Australia as a Strategic Partner. ESO's headquarters and its visitor centre and planetarium, the ESO Supernova, are located close to Munich in Germany, while the Chilean Atacama Desert, a marvellous place with unique conditions to observe the sky, hosts our telescopes. ESO operates three observing sites: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor. At Paranal, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope and its Very Large Telescope Interferometer, as well as survey telescopes such as VISTA. Also at Paranal ESO will host and operate the Cherenkov Telescope Array South, the world's largest and most sensitive gamma-ray observatory. Together with international partners, ESO operates ALMA on Chajnantor, a facility that observes the skies in the millimetre and submillimetre range. At Cerro Armazones, near Paranal, we are building "the world's biggest eye on the sky" -- ESO's Extremely Large Telescope. From our offices in Santiago, Chile we support our operations in the country and engage with Chilean partners and society. Links * Research paper (Carniani et al.) * Research paper (Schouws et al.) * Photos of ALMA * For journalists: subscribe to receive our releases under embargo in your language and apply to take part in ESO's (partly funded) 2025 strategic media visit (NEW) * For scientists: got a story? Pitch your research * New ESO analysis confirms severe damage from industrial complex planned near Paranal Contacts Stefano Carniani Scuola Normale Superiore Pisa, Italy Tel: +39 050 509156 Email: stefano.carniani@sns.it Sander Schouws Leiden University Leiden, The Netherlands Email: sanderschouws@gmail.com Eleonora Parlanti Scuola Normale Superiore Pisa, Italy Email: eleonora.parlanti@sns.it Rychard Bouwens Leiden Observatory, University of Leiden Leiden, The Netherlands Tel: +31 71 527 8456 Email: bouwens@strw.leidenuniv.nl Jacqueline Hodge Leiden Observatory, University of Leiden Leiden, The Netherlands Tel: +31 71 527 8450 Email: hodge@strw.leidenuniv.nl Gergo Popping European ALMA Regional Centre, European Southern Observatory Tel: +49 89 3200 6247 Email: gpopping@eso.org Barbara Ferreira ESO Media Manager Garching bei Munchen, Germany Tel: +49 89 3200 6670 Cell: +49 151 241 664 00 Email: press@eso.org Connect with ESO on social media Usage of ESO Images, Videos, Web texts and Music Are you a journalist? Subscribe to the ESO Media Newsletter in your language. [ ] About the Release Release No.: eso2507 Name: JADES-GS-z14-0 Type: Early Universe : Galaxy Facility: Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array Images The picture shows a very small section of the night sky with stars and galaxies. There is an inset zooming in on the galaxy JADES-GS-z14-0. The image in the inset is a diffuse blue cloud with a bright white centre. PR Image eso2507a Furthest detection of oxygen in the early Universe The picture shows a very small section of the night sky with stars and galaxies. There is an inset zooming in on the galaxy JADES-GS-z14-0. The image in the inset is a diffuse blue cloud with a bright white centre. Two rectangular boxes show almost identical wiggly lines, with one prominent peak at their centre. PR Image eso2507b Oxygen spectrum in most distant known galaxy A computer rendering of an irregular and colourful cloud. The cloud is sprinkled with bright stars. Dark dust lanes cross in front of the cloud, partially blocking the glowing structures behind it. PR Image eso2507c Artist's impression of JADES-GS-z14-0 A telescopic image of a patch of the night sky. The sky is black and sprinkled with stars of mostly white and faint stars, with a few bright ones here and there. PR Image eso2507d Wide-field view of the region of the sky around JADES-GS-z14-0 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Videos Oxygen discovered in most distant galaxy PR Video eso2507a Oxygen discovered in most distant galaxy When oxygen was first born PR Video eso2507b When oxygen was first born Zooming in on JADES-GS-z14-0 PR Video eso2507c Zooming in on JADES-GS-z14-0 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Send us your comments! Subscribe to receive news from ESO in your language Accelerated by CDN77 Terms & Conditions Cookie Settings and Policy Our use of Cookies We use cookies that are essential for accessing our websites and using our services. We also use cookies to analyse, measure and improve our websites' performance, to enable content sharing via social media and to display media content hosted on third-party platforms. You can read manage your cookie preferences and find out more by visiting 'Cookie Settings and Policy'. Accept All Accept Only Essential Cookies Cookie Settings and Policy ESO Cookies Policy The European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO) is the pre-eminent intergovernmental science and technology organisation in astronomy. It carries out an ambitious programme focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities for astronomy. This Cookies Policy is intended to provide clarity by outlining the cookies used on the ESO public websites, their functions, the options you have for controlling them, and the ways you can contact us for additional details. What are cookies? Cookies are small pieces of data stored on your device by websites you visit. They serve various purposes, such as remembering login credentials and preferences and enhance your browsing experience. Categories of cookies we use Essential cookies (always active): These cookies are strictly necessary for the proper functioning of our website. Without these cookies, the website cannot operate correctly, and certain services, such as logging in or accessing secure areas, may not be available; because they are essential for the website's operation, they cannot be disabled. Cookie ID/Name Description/Purpose Provider (1^st party or 3^rd party) Browser session cookie or Stored cookie? Duration csrftoken XSRF protection token. We use this cookie to protect against cross-site request forgery attacks. 1^st party Stored 1 year user_privacy Your privacy choices. We use this cookie to save your privacy preferences. 1^st party Stored 6 months _grecaptcha We use reCAPTCHA to protect our forms against spam and abuse. reCAPTCHA sets a necessary cookie when executed for the purpose of providing its risk analysis. We use www.recaptcha.net instead of www.google.com in order to avoid unnecessary cookies from Google. 3^rd party Stored 6 months Functional Cookies: These cookies enhance your browsing experience by enabling additional features and personalization, such as remembering your preferences and settings. While not strictly necessary for the website to function, they improve usability and convenience; these cookies are only placed if you provide your consent. Cookie ID/Name Description/Purpose Provider (1^st party or 3^rd party) Browser session cookie or Stored cookie? Duration Settings preferred_language Language settings. We use this cookie to remember your preferred language settings. 1^st party Stored 1 year ON | OFF sessionid ESO Shop. We use this cookie to store your session information on the ESO Shop. This is just an identifier which is used on the server in order to allow you to purchase items in our shop. 1^st party Stored 2 weeks ON | OFF Analytics cookies: These cookies collect information about how visitors interact with our website, such as which pages are visited most often and how users navigate the site. This data helps us improve website performance, optimize content, and enhance the user experience; these cookies are only placed if you provide your consent. We use the following analytics cookies. Matomo Cookies: This website uses Matomo (formerly Piwik), an open source software which enables the statistical analysis of website visits. Matomo uses cookies (text files) which are saved on your computer and which allow us to analyze how you use our website. The website user information generated by the cookies will only be saved on the servers of our IT Department. We use this information to analyze www.eso.org visits and to prepare reports on website activities. These data will not be disclosed to third parties. On behalf of ESO, Matomo will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of the website, compiling reports on website activity and providing other services relating to website activity and internet usage. ON | OFF Matomo cookies settings: Cookie ID/Name Description/Purpose Provider (1^st party or 3^rd party) Browser session cookie or Stored cookie? Duration Settings _pk_id Stores a unique visitor ID. 1^st party Stored 13 months _pk_ses Session cookie temporarily stores data for the visit. 1^st party Stored 30 minutes _pk_ref Stores attribution information (the referrer that brought the visitor to the website). 1^st party Stored 6 months _pk_testcookie Temporary cookie to check if a visitor's browser supports cookies (set in Internet Explorer only). 1^st party Stored Temporary cookie that expires almost immediately after being set. Additional Third-party cookies on ESO websites: some of our pages display content from external providers, e.g. YouTube. Such third-party services are outside of ESO control and may, at any time, change their terms of service, use of cookies, etc. YouTube: Some videos on the ESO website are embedded from ESO's official YouTube channel. We have enabled YouTube's privacy-enhanced mode, meaning that no cookies are set unless the user actively clicks on the video to play it. Additionally, in this mode, YouTube does not store any personally identifiable cookie data for embedded video playbacks. For more details, please refer to YouTube's embedding videos information page. Cookies can also be classified based on the following elements. Regarding the domain, there are: * First-party cookies, set by the website you are currently visiting. They are stored by the same domain that you are browsing and are used to enhance your experience on that site; * Third-party cookies, set by a domain other than the one you are currently visiting. As for their duration, cookies can be: * Browser-session cookies, which are deleted when the user closes the browser; * Stored cookies, which stay on the user's device for a predetermined period of time. How to manage cookies Cookie settings: You can modify your cookie choices for the ESO webpages at any time by clicking on the link Cookie settings at the bottom of any page. In your browser: If you wish to delete cookies or instruct your browser to delete or block cookies by default, please visit the help pages of your browser: * Brave * Chrome * Edge * Firefox * Safari Please be aware that if you delete or decline cookies, certain functionalities of our website may be not be available and your browsing experience may be affected. You can set most browsers to prevent any cookies being placed on your device, but you may then have to manually adjust some preferences every time you visit a site/page. And some services and functionalities may not work properly at all (e.g. profile logging-in, shop check out). Updates to the ESO Cookies Policy The ESO Cookies Policy may be subject to future updates, which will be made available on this page. Additional information For any queries related to cookies, please contact: pdprATesoDOTorg. As ESO public webpages are managed by our Department of Communication, your questions will be dealt with the support of the said Department. Save Cancel