a d h e s io n o f Ita lytoE S O . Ita ly w ill b e c o m e a m e m b e r o f E S Oa s s o o na s th e d o c u m e n t o f a d h e s io nis d e p o s ite d w ith th e F re n c h M in is tr y o f F o r e ig n A ffa irs . W e w e lc o m e th is im m in e n t h a p p y e v e n t.

S w is s fra n c s . Itisp la n n e d to u s e th e S w is s e n tr a n c e fe e to g e th e r w ith th e

th e F e d e ra l O ffic e fo r E d u c a tio n a n d S c ie n c ea sa n a d v is o r . T h e E S O C o u n c il h a s a p p o in te d P ro f.G .A . T a m m a n n o f th e B a s e l O b s e r v a to r y in to th e S c ie n tific IT e c h n ic a l C o m m it\ue000 te e .

S w itz e r la n d s u b m itte d its s ig n e d E S O m e m b e r s h ip d o c u m e n t to th e F r e n c h F o re ig n M in is try (w h e re th e

T h is b r in g s to ah a p p y e n da c o m p le x d e v e lo p m e n tw h ic h b e g a n s ix te e n y e a r s a g o , w h e n th e S w is s C o u n c il fo r S c ie n c e P o lic y

re a liz e d th a t th is p ro je c t p o s e d s e v e ra l u n s u r m o u n ta b le p ro b \ue000 le m s , S w is s a s tr o n o m e r s jo in e d fo rc e stow o rk to w a rd S w itz e r\ue000 la n d 's b e c o m in g

d ire c tio n g r e w th ro u g h th e s u b s e q u e n t r e c o m m e n d a tio n o f th e S w is s C o u n c il o f S c ie n c e P o lic y (1 9 7 2 ) a n d th e e r e c tio n o f th e G e n e v a te le s c o p eo nL aS illa ( a p p r o v e d b y th e E S O C o u n c ilin 1975, and

w e ila s c o n ta c ts b e tw e e n th e Ita lia n a n d S w is s g o v e r n m e n ts c u lm in a te dinth e a c c e p ta n c e b y th e E S O C o u n c il o f S w itz e r la n d a n d Ita lya sn e w m e m b e r c o u n trie s (M a rc h

F o re ig n M in is try . T h e la tte r d re wu pa m e s s a g e to P a r lia m e n t, w hic h w a s a p p r o v e d b y th e F e d e r a l C o u n c ilin D e c e m b e r 1 9 8 0 , a n d

p e r io d , w h ic h w a s n o t u s e d , th e F e d e r a l C o u n c il p u t its fin a l s ig n a tu r eo nth e E S O

C o u n c ilo n s c ie n tific a n d te c h n ic a l m a tte rs . T h is c o m m itte e m e e ts tw ic e a y e a r, u s u a llya tG a r e h in g ; its m e m b e r s a re n o m in a te d b y th e C o u n c il a n d th e ir te rm

p r o s p e c tiv e a c tiv itie s , a ro je fa ir ly s im ila rin th is r e s p e c tto th e o n e p la y e d w ith in th e E u r o p e a n S p a c e A g e n c y b y th e A s tro \ue000 n o m y W o rk in g G ro u p . Im p o rta n t d e c is io n s , s u c ha stoim p le \ue000 m e n t tw o n e w te le s c o p e s (3 .5 mN D

p r o je c t, th e m a in o p tio n s s u c ha s te le s c o p e d e s ig n , fo c a l p la n e c o n fig u r a tio n , m o d e o f o p e ra tio n , in s tr u m e n ta tio n , o p ti\ue000 m iz a tio n w ith r e s p e c t to th e 3 .6m usea re c u rre n tly d is c u s s e d .

m e e t\ue000 in g sa tE u r o p e a n s c a le ,in c lo s e c o o p e r a tio n w ith th e E S O s ta ff, isa n

fo r S ta rs , T w o -D im e n s io n a l P h o to m e try , In fra re d A s tro n o m y. . .). A m o n g in s tr u m e n ts , le tu s m e n lio n th e n e w IR S P E C c r y o g e n ic s p e c tro g ra p h b o rna tth e firs t E S O

U t\u00f6 (S w e d e n )in 1 9 7 8 . It w ill o n ly b ein o n e o r tw o y e a rs th a tth e S T C w ill b e a b letor e s u m e a n e w d e v e lo p m e n t p h a s e , o n c e th e c u rre n t s e t o f in s tru m e n ts u n d e rc o n s tru c tio nisc o m p le te d . T h e p u r c h a s e o f e x p e n s iv e ite m s , s u c ha sa rra y d e te c to rs , c o m p u \ue000 te rs. . .is a ls o b e in g d is c u s s e d b y th e S T C w h o h a s to a p p r o v e it.A n o th e r p ro s p e c tiv e a n d

illu s tra te d b y th e s u c c e s s iv e c o n fe r e n c e s (G e n e v a 1 9 7 6 , T u c \ue000 s o n 1 9 8 0 , G a r c h in g 1 9 8 1 , T u c s o n 1 9 8 2 ) b e in g h e ld a n d b y th e v e ry b ro a d

r e g u la r ly : A m o n g o th e r c r u c ia l is s u e sw hic h w ill n e e d a c o n t in u \ue000 in g d e b a te , is th e s p a tia l in te rfe ro m e trya n dc o h e re n c e c a p a b i\ue000 lit y

a s tr o n o m ic a l p r o je c ts , th e v a r ie ty o f o p tio n s (v is ib le , IR , ra d io , s p a c e ),itb e c o m e s d iffic u ltto m a k e s o u n d c h o ic e sin a c o n te x t o f e c o n o m ic d iffic u ltie s . T h e S T C

S T C c o n c e r n s , le a v in g th is h e a v y r e s p o n s ib ilitytoth e D ire c to r\ue000 G e n e r a l a d v is e d b y th e U s e rs C o m m itte e a n d th e O b s e rv in g P ro g ra m m e s

d iffe re n t if s o m e S T C m e e tin g s c o u ld o c c u ra tL a S illa o r if th e d ir e c to ra t L aS illa c o u ld a tte n d S T C m e e tin g s , a le s s e x p e n s iv e p r o p o s a l I m a d e a t th e la s t C o u n c il m e e tin g .

u n o rth o d o x ,a sth e d e b a teo n w h e th e r E S O s h o u ld b u ild am m ra d io te le s c o p e a t L a S illa , u s e c o n c r e te s p h e r ic a l m o u n ts fo r th eN D

m ir th . T h a t th e s o le s u r v iv o r s c o u ld o n ly b e th o s e v a g u e , u n w o rld ly n o n -d rin k e rs , w h o s e o n ly c o n c e rnisto g e n e ra te w o rk a n d p u b lis hit.

A n d y e t. . . w r o n g . T h e w ill to e n jo y life 's m o r e m u n d a n e s id e is n o tinq u ie s c e n c e fo r a ll inth is O b s e rv a to ry . T h e fitte s t h a v e m a n a g e d to s u r v iv e .

T h e fir s t s ig n th a t n o t a llisa s p r o s a ica s o n e w o u ld te n dto b e lie v ein th e s e a u s te re s u rro u n d in g s is th e p a s s -w o rd : "th e B ariso p e n " . C e r ta in ly th o s e w o r d s a re n o t la c k in gin p o e tic b e a u ty . S u r e ly th a tisw hat ism e a n t b y " p r e p a r in g fo r th e n ig h t a h e a d ".

s te a d ie s a n d p le n ty o f n e w -c o m e rs . A n y re a s o nisg o o d e n o u g h to o p e n th e B a r: g o in go n h o m e \ue000 le a v e , g e ttin g a n e w

le a g u e s to s h o w w h a t a g r e a t p a l h eisg o in gto tu rn o u t tob e . T h e s e s o c ia l g a th e r in g s n o r m a lly ta k e p la c ea t th e b e g in n in go f atu rn a s in c e p r o v is io n s s ta r t r u n n in g lo w

a sth e d a y s g o b y . G o o d m u s ic , g r e a t d a n c e rs , p le n ty o f p ro v is io n s . It's a ll th e re , e x c e p t fo r th e fa c t th a tL a

p o s s ib ly fe e l s h eisle ft o u t, o r th a t s h e isn o t p o p u la r e n o u g h . S h e is a b s o lu te ly g u a r a n te e d ,a t e v e r y p a rty , th a t s h e w ill n o t m is s a s in g le d a n c e . N o t a c h a n c e . W h e th e r s h e w a n tsitth a t w a y o r n o t. "W a ll-f1 o w e rs " a re u n h e a rd o fo n

w a s fo u n d e d 1 5 y e a r s a g a a n d s in c e th e n th e fo o tb a ll s e a s o n h a s b e e n th e m a in re c re a tiv e e v e n lo nL aS illa . U n fo r tu n a te ly fo r w a n t o f a w e ll-Iit in d o o r g y m , th e s e a s o nis v e ry s h o rt. G a m e s a re o n ly p la y e d a fte r w o r k a n d th e y re lyo n d a y - lig h t o n ly . T h e fir s t g a m eis p la y e do n O c to b e r 1 s t w h e n d a y lig h tisp r o lo n g e d b y o n eh ou r. E a c h te a m

w o rk s h a rdto e n te r th e c h a m p io n s h ip , w in it a n d ta k e p o s s e s s io n o f th e c u p th a t is a w a rd e d . T h is m u c h c o v e te d tro p h y is u s u a lly d o n a te d b y a p ro m in e n t s ta ff m e m b e r o ra nE S O

s u p p lie r ; s u c his th e c a s e o f th e fa m o u s " D r. M u lle r C u p " , w h ic h h a d1 0b ew o n Ih re e c o n s e c u tiv e tim e s b e fo r e th e w in n in g te a m

c o ld -b u ffe t d in n e r w a s tra n s fe rre d toE IB e n o . T h e V o lle y - B a ll n e t w a s s e t u pa n d th e g a m e w a s w e ilo n its w a y e v e n b e fo re e v e r y o n e h a d a rriv e d . O th e rs , le s s s p o rts -o rie n te d , a tta c h e d a c a s e tte p la y e r to

m o u n ta in , s oa tC h r is tm a s a n d N e w Y e a r th e fa m ilie s o f th o s e o nd u ty a re in v ite d to c o m e a n d s p e n d th e h o lid a y s o nL a S illa . M e a l-tim e s

th a t e v e n in g ; a n da slo n g a sth e reisn o m o re c a r d riv in go n c eth p . p a r ty g o e s in to p r o p e r m o tio n , E S O w ill, o b lig in g ly , tu rn a ll e y e s toth e te le s c o p e s .

n o t c o m p le te ly fu tile . A p p a r e n tly , th e fitte s t c o u ld th r iv eina b la c k h o le g iv e n a c h a n c e .Itis o n lyo n t h o s ew e e k e n d s -w h ic h s e e m

to d ra go nfo re v e r-w h e n th e m o ra leisa tits lo w e s t e b b , th a t th e fitte s t b e g in to e x p lo r e th e ir c a p a c itie s fo r e n d u r a n c e a n d a s k th e m s e lv e s : " W h y d o I fe e l lik e g o in g d o w n t o d a y ? "

a lo u d v o ic e : " Y o u r w ife ju s t p h o n e d , s h e w ill b e a t y o u r m o th e r - in - Ia w 's w ith th e

d is a p \ue000 p o in te d g r o a n s a n d g ig g le s re a c h m a x im u m p e a k . " O h D e a th , w h e reisth y s tin g ? "

b u ffo o n s , a d a p t th e ir lin e s w ith v e r y lo c a l te r m in o lo g ya sth e y g o a lo n g , s o m e tim e s p r o d u c in g s u c h h y s te r ic a l s itu a tio n s th a t re h e a rs a ls

s oit d o e s . S e v e r a l c o u p le s h a v e m e t w h ile w o r k in go nth e m o u n ta in a n d a c tu a lly o w e th e ir m a r r ie d b lis stoL aS illa . T h e firs t m a r r ia g e s d a tea s fa r b a c ka s w h e n th e y w e re d y n a m itin g

a n d d a s h in g D u tc h c o n s tr u c to r fe ll p a s s io n a te lyinlo v e w ith a d e lic a te d e s e r t flo w e r w h o 'd c o m e to w o rko nth e s ta n d a rd m a te r ia ls c a la lo g u e . T h e y w e re m a rrie d a lm o s t in s ta n tly . S o o n a fte r w a r d s a g a la n t F re n c h m e c h a n ic s te c h n ic ia n

ity e t, b u t th e y d o n 't lo s e h o p e . E v id e n tly , th e fo r c e s o f th e s ta rs d o c a s t a ta n ta liz in g

B u t e v e n fo r th o s e w h o a re a lw a y sina m e n ta lfo g w h e n it c o m e s to r o m a n c in g , L a S illa is a g r e a t p la c e to m e e t p e o p le a n d m a k e frie n d s , p a r tic u la r lys ofo r th e m o re s h y ty p e s w h o h a v e

o th e rs . A t m e a l tim e s p e o p le a re ju s t b o u n dtom e e t a n d ta lk . F o r th e s u p e r-s h y w h o w is htob e a ro u n d p e o p le b u t a v o id th e ta lk in g , w e r e c o m m e n d th e jo g g in g te a m . T h is te a misa s ile n t g r o u p w h o ru s h a b o u t th e O b s e rv a to ry a t h y p e rs o n ic s p e e dinth e e a r ly h o u rs , w h ile th e m o re s e d e n ta r y a re ju s t g e ttin g in to , o r o u t o f, b e d .

w ith v e h e m e n c e . H e n c e , w e h a v e th e "C o m e F ie rro s " (L e a d -C h e w e rs ) fro m th e A s tro w o rk \ue000 s h o p ; th e "S u p e r H .P .". (S u p e r H o rs e -P o w e r) fro m