Ireland is to become a member state of the European Southern Observatory (ESO).

The European intergovernmental astronomy organisation provides state-of-the-art research facilities to astronomers.

It is supported by other nations such as Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Ireland will officially join the ESO on October 1st this year, after an accession agreement was signed on Wednesday by ESO Director-General Xavier Barcons and Minister of State John Halligan.

Its main mission is to "provide state-of-the-art research facilities to astronomers and astrophysicists, allowing them to conduct front-line science in the best conditions."

The annual contributions to the ESO are around €198m and it employs around 700 staff members.

The ESO is headquartered near Munich in Germany.

While the organisation also operates the Vitacura centre in Chile - as well as three observing sites.

The ESO's Paranal Observatory in the Atacama Desert of Chile | Image: Y Beletsky (LCO)/ESO

ESO is building a 39-metre Extremely Large Telescope, the ELT, which will become "the world's biggest eye on the sky".

The Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) has said Ireland's joining the ESO is "hugely significant for future generations of Irish scientists".

DIAS Professor Tom Ray has been appointed by the Government to represent Ireland on the ESO Council.

Dr Eucharia Meehan, CEO of DIAS, said: "Ireland's membership of the ESO has been a strategic aim of DIAS for many years.

"We are delighted Ireland will officially join the ESO from 1st October, and we are honoured that our own Professor Tom Ray will represent Ireland on the ESO Council".

The ESO headquarters near Munich, Germany | Image: ESO

On his move, Prof Ray said: "Membership of the ESO is a wonderful development for Irish astronomy and is hugely significant for future generations of Irish scientists.

"It means we now have access to world-class facilities and we can lead programmes on such topics as the physics of the gas and dust in our galaxy; the birth of stars and planets; the interaction of black holes with exotic stars in binary systems; and the formation of the first galaxies.

"Access to the ESO means that, from now on, Irish astronomers - as members of a consortium and in collaboration with industry - can be at the cutting edge of astronomical developments globally."