The European Southern Observatory (ESO, formally: European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere; French: Observatoire européen austral) is a 16-nation intergovernmental research organisation for astronomy. Created in 1962, ESO has provided astronomers with state-of-the-art research facilities and access to the southern sky. The organisation employs about 730 staff members and receives annual member state contributions of approximately €131 million.