The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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The faint spot at the centre of this picture from ESO's Very Large Telescope is Near-Earth Object 2009 FD. It may look insignificant, but there was a possibility that this asteroid would collide with Earth in the future. Fortunately the latest VLT observations, part of a collaboration with the European Space Agency, have shown that this is much less likely than initially feared. The stars in this picture appear trailed as the telescope was tracking the motion of the asteroid during the exposures.