Image Archive: Survey Telescopeshttp://www.eso.org/public/images/ESO Image FeedenTue, 15 Nov 2016 13:24:53 +0100Surveying the skieshttp://www.eso.org/public/images/beletsky-paranal-14-cc/
<img src="https://cdn.eso.org/images/news/beletsky-paranal-14-cc.jpg" border="0" align="left" /><p>Part of ESO's Paranal Observatory, the <a href="http://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/surveytelescopes/vst/">VLT Survey Telescope</a> (VST) observes the brilliantly clear skies above the Atacama desert of Chile. It is the largest telescope in the world surveying the sky in visible light.</p>
Tue, 15 Nov 2016 13:24:53 +0100http://www.eso.org/public/images/beletsky-paranal-14-cc/VST viewhttp://www.eso.org/public/images/beletsky-paranal-05-cc/
<img src="https://cdn.eso.org/images/news/beletsky-paranal-05-cc.jpg" border="0" align="left" /><p>ESO's <a href="http://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/surveytelescopes/vst/">VLT Survey Telescope</a> (VST) is part of Paranal Observatory in Chile. It is the world's largest telescope surveying the Universe in visible light.</p>
Mon, 14 Nov 2016 16:47:15 +0100http://www.eso.org/public/images/beletsky-paranal-05-cc/Inside VISTAhttp://www.eso.org/public/images/vista-inside-pan/
<img src="https://cdn.eso.org/images/news/vista-inside-pan.jpg" border="0" align="left" /><p>360 degree panorama taken inside of the VISTA telescope dome. The Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA) is a wide-field telescope designed for performing a series of very broad surveys of the sky in infrared light. Thanks to its large primary mirror, with a diameter of 4m, these surveys will show quite faint objects. The goal of these surveys is to create large catalogues of celestial objects for statistical studies and to identify new targets for the VLT.</p>
Tue, 23 Aug 2016 17:00:00 +0200http://www.eso.org/public/images/vista-inside-pan/Startrails above VISTAhttp://www.eso.org/public/images/vst-0733-0750-startrail-final-cc/
<img src="https://cdn.eso.org/images/news/vst-0733-0750-startrail-final-cc.jpg" border="0" align="left" /><p>Startrails populating a cloudy sky above the <a href="http://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/surveytelescopes/vista/">VISTA telescope</a> in Paranal. VISTA ― the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy ― is part of ESO’s Paranal Observatory. VISTA works at near-infrared wavelengths and is the world’s largest survey telescope.</p>
Mon, 11 Jul 2016 12:57:00 +0200http://www.eso.org/public/images/vst-0733-0750-startrail-final-cc/Four Lasers Over Paranalhttp://www.eso.org/public/images/potw1618a/
<img src="https://cdn.eso.org/images/news/potw1618a.jpg" border="0" align="left" /><p>Glistening against the awesome backdrop of the night sky above ESO’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paranal_Observatory">Paranal Observatory</a>, four laser beams project out into the darkness from <a href="http://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/vlt/vlt-names/">Unit Telescope 4</a> (UT4) of the <a href="http://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/paranal/">Very Large Telescope</a> (VLT); they mark the first use of multiple lasers at ESO and they are the most powerful laser guide stars ever used in astronomy. Some 90 kilometres up in the atmosphere, the lasers excite atoms of sodium, creating artificial stars for the telescope’s <a href="https://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/technology/adaptive_optics/">adaptive optics</a> systems.</p>
<p>Modern telescopes use adaptive optics systems to compensate for the blurring effect of the Earth’s atmosphere. To do this, the telescope needs to be able to see a bright reference star while it is observing its main target. However, there is not always a suitably bright star nearby, so astronomers use lasers to create artificial stars exactly where they need them. Sodium atoms high in the atmosphere are made to glow by the action of the lasers, forming tiny patches of light that mimic real stars.</p>
<p>Using multiple lasers simultaneously allows the atmosphere’s properties to be better characterised — resulting in a much better image quality in a larger field of view where the image is corrected — than is possible with just one laser. The four lasers just fitted to UT4 serve one of the most sophisticated laser guide star systems ever built and are an example of how ESO enables European industry to lead complex research and development projects. The new lasers will permit the VLT to produce very sharp images, almost at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffraction-limited_system">diffraction limit</a> of the telescope. With this new facility, the Paranal Observatory continues to have the most advanced and the largest number of adaptive optics systems in operation today. This new system will also pave the way for a similar system on ESO’s forthcoming <a href="https://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/e-elt/">European Extremely Large Telescope</a>, the world’s biggest eye on the sky.</p>
Mon, 02 May 2016 06:00:00 +0200http://www.eso.org/public/images/potw1618a/An Emerald in the Skyhttp://www.eso.org/public/images/potw1615a/
<img src="https://cdn.eso.org/images/news/potw1615a.jpg" border="0" align="left" /><p>This <a href="http://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/vlt/auxiliarytelescopes/">Auxiliary Telescope</a> at the Very Large Telescope (<a href="http://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/paranal/">VLT</a>), located at the Paranal Observatory in Chile, looks to be pointing at the greenish emerald glow of the comet <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/252P/LINEAR">252P/LINEAR</a> high above it.</p>
<p>Discovered in April 2000, 252P/LINEAR is a relative newcomer to the inner Solar System, traveling between the orbit of Jupiter and the orbit of Earth. A couple of days ago, in March 2016, it passed particularly close to the Earth, at a distance of only 5.2 millions kilometers, ranking as the fifth closest recorded passage of a comet. It can still be admired in the southern hemisphere. The green colour arises from fluorescing carbon-based gas surrounding the comet.</p>
<p>This gem of a picture was taken by the <a href="http://www.eso.org/public/outreach/partnerships/photo-ambassadors/#tafreshi">ESO Photo Ambassador</a> Babak A. Tafreshi. He has just started out on <a href="http://www.eso.org/public/images/tafreshi_mg_0441p-cc/">ESO’s Fulldome Expedition</a>, during which he will be taking more spectacular pictures from ESO’s observatories and of the southern hemisphere night sky.</p>
Mon, 11 Apr 2016 06:00:00 +0200http://www.eso.org/public/images/potw1615a/VLT Survey Telescopehttp://www.eso.org/public/images/vlt_5999-cc/
<img src="https://cdn.eso.org/images/news/vlt_5999-cc.jpg" border="0" align="left" /><p>The enclosure of the VLT Survey Telescope (VST), located at ESO's Paranal Observatory in northern Chile, is bathed in a warm orange glow from a low-lying Sun. In the foreground, swallowed by shadow, the tracks on which the VLT's Auxiliary Telescopes travel are shown.</p>
Fri, 20 Nov 2015 13:22:57 +0100http://www.eso.org/public/images/vlt_5999-cc/Keeping cool at La Sillahttp://www.eso.org/public/images/potw1538a/
<img src="https://cdn.eso.org/images/news/potw1538a.jpg" border="0" align="left" /><p>This striking picture of the <a href="http://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/lasilla/ntt/">New Technology Telescope</a> (NTT) was taken just after sunset at ESO's <a href="http://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/lasilla/">La Silla Observatory</a>, located in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norte_Chico,_Chile">Norte Chico</a> in outskirts of the Chilean Atacama Desert. The Moon has already begun its journey across the evening sky, and is shining brightly overhead. The Sun dips below the horizon to the left of the frame, soaking the clouds in a rich orange colour.</p>
<p>The warm glow of the last rays of sunshine are caught by the reflective surface of the NTT walls. The purpose of this metallic dome is to stop the telescope’s enclosure from heating up during the day. This would affect the telescope’s observations, as rising warm air and turbulence blur images and worsen the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomical_seeing">astronomical seeing</a>.</p>
<p>It is not just the telescope's enclosure that is designed to reduce heat accumulation during the day; the concrete platforms and parking spaces around the site are all painted white to increase the amount of light reflected from their surface.</p>
Mon, 21 Sep 2015 10:00:00 +0200http://www.eso.org/public/images/potw1538a/VISTA on the edgehttp://www.eso.org/public/images/vlt_atudorica022-cc/
<img src="https://cdn.eso.org/images/news/vlt_atudorica022-cc.jpg" border="0" align="left" /><p>Like an outpost at the end of the Earth, VISTA stands against the backdrop of the vast sprawl of the Atacama.</p>
Mon, 23 Mar 2015 13:06:33 +0100http://www.eso.org/public/images/vlt_atudorica022-cc/The VLT Survey Telescope at twilighthttp://www.eso.org/public/images/vlt_atudorica037-cc/
<img src="https://cdn.eso.org/images/news/vlt_atudorica037-cc.jpg" border="0" align="left" /><p><span>The VLT Survery Telescope stands in the foreground of this image. it is the largest telescope in the world designed to exclusively survey the sky in visible light.</span></p>
Mon, 23 Mar 2015 12:02:34 +0100http://www.eso.org/public/images/vlt_atudorica037-cc/Roadside telescopehttp://www.eso.org/public/images/vlt_atudorica021-cc/
<img src="https://cdn.eso.org/images/news/vlt_atudorica021-cc.jpg" border="0" align="left" /><p>As the Sun sets behind the distant mountains and the sky glows with an ethereal green, the VST opens its doors to a night of observations. In the starry sky, the Pleiades and the Orion belt are easily recognizable on the left and right of the dome respectively.</p>
Mon, 23 Mar 2015 10:58:44 +0100http://www.eso.org/public/images/vlt_atudorica021-cc/Testing laser guide star systems on Tenerifehttp://www.eso.org/public/images/ann15010a/
<img src="https://cdn.eso.org/images/news/ann15010a.jpg" border="0" align="left" /><p>A team of astronomers and engineers from ESO, the <a href="http://www.iac.es/">Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias</a> (IAC), the <a href="http://www.gtc.iac.es/">Gran Telescopio CANARIAS</a> and <a href="http://www.mporzio.astro.it/">INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma</a> achieved first light and successful commissioning of the <a href="http://www.eso.org/public/announcements/ann11039/">ESO Wendelstein Laser Guide Star system</a> at the IAC's<a href="http://www.iac.es/eno.php?op1=3&lang=en"> Observatorio del Teide </a>on Tenerife in Spain in January 2015.</p>
Tue, 10 Feb 2015 16:00:00 +0100http://www.eso.org/public/images/ann15010a/The Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomyhttp://www.eso.org/public/images/vista-cc/
<img src="https://cdn.eso.org/images/news/vista-cc.jpg" border="0" align="left" /><p>VISTA ― the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy ― is part of ESO’s <a href="http://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/vlt/">Paranal Observatory</a>. It works at near-infrared wavelengths and is the world’s largest survey telescope.</p>
Tue, 11 Nov 2014 15:25:39 +0100http://www.eso.org/public/images/vista-cc/VISTA observing the skyhttp://www.eso.org/public/images/beletsky_paranal_09f/
<img src="https://cdn.eso.org/images/news/beletsky_paranal_09f.jpg" border="0" align="left" /><p>Even though the VLT is the most famous telescope at the Paranal Observatory, it is by far not the only one. A bit aside from the large Unit Telescopes — which are still visible in the background — VISTA (Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy) is housed. In contrast to its bigger brothers VISTA’s observing time is totally devoted to mapping the sky systematically.</p>
Wed, 01 Oct 2014 15:47:59 +0200http://www.eso.org/public/images/beletsky_paranal_09f/VISTA observing the skyhttp://www.eso.org/public/images/beletsky_paranal_06f/
<img src="https://cdn.eso.org/images/news/beletsky_paranal_06f.jpg" border="0" align="left" /><p>Even though the VLT is the most famous telescope at the Paranal Observatory, it is by far not the only one. A bit aside from the large Unit Telescopes VISTA (Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy) is housed. In contrast to its bigger brothers, VISTA’s observing time is totally devoted to mapping the sky systematically.</p>
Wed, 01 Oct 2014 15:41:02 +0200http://www.eso.org/public/images/beletsky_paranal_06f/VISTA observing the skyhttp://www.eso.org/public/images/beletsky_paranal_04f/
<img src="https://cdn.eso.org/images/news/beletsky_paranal_04f.jpg" border="0" align="left" /><p>Even though the VLT is the most famous telescope at the Paranal Observatory, it is by far not the only one. A bit aside from the large Unit Telescopes VISTA (Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy) is housed. In contrast to its bigger brothers VISTA’s observing time is totally devoted to mapping the sky systematically.</p>
Wed, 01 Oct 2014 15:36:24 +0200http://www.eso.org/public/images/beletsky_paranal_04f/VISTA observing the skyhttp://www.eso.org/public/images/beletsky_paranal_05f/
<img src="https://cdn.eso.org/images/news/beletsky_paranal_05f.jpg" border="0" align="left" /><p>Even though the VLT is the most famous telescope at the Paranal Observatory, it is by far not the only one. A bit aside from the large Unit Telescopes, VISTA (Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy) is housed. In contrast to its bigger brothers, VISTA’s observing time is totally devoted to mapping the sky systematically.</p>
Wed, 01 Oct 2014 13:56:47 +0200http://www.eso.org/public/images/beletsky_paranal_05f/Very large silhouette at sunsethttp://www.eso.org/public/images/tobias-schmidt-069/
<img src="https://cdn.eso.org/images/news/tobias-schmidt-069.jpg" border="0" align="left" /><p>The Very Large Telescope (VLT) atop the 2600-metre-high Cerro Paranal is silhouetted by the sky at sunset.</p>
Mon, 12 Aug 2013 15:46:59 +0200http://www.eso.org/public/images/tobias-schmidt-069/Very large silhouette at sunsethttp://www.eso.org/public/images/tobias-schmidt-064/
<img src="https://cdn.eso.org/images/news/tobias-schmidt-064.jpg" border="0" align="left" /><p>The Very Large Telescope (VLT) atop <span>the 2600-metre-high Cerro Paranal </span>is silhouetted by the sky at sunset.</p>
Mon, 12 Aug 2013 15:43:57 +0200http://www.eso.org/public/images/tobias-schmidt-064/The Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorerhttp://www.eso.org/public/images/bacon-fig6/
<img src="https://cdn.eso.org/images/news/bacon-fig6.jpg" border="0" align="left" /><p>Shown here is the fore-optics system for the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) moments before its decent onto the MUSE main structure. It is at this moment attached to an integration hall crane.</p>
<p>More can be read about MUSE in <a href="http://www.eso.org/public/archives/periodicals/pdf/messenger_147.pdf" class="ga_static_tracking">issue 147</a> of the Messenger.</p>
Tue, 30 Jul 2013 17:59:39 +0200http://www.eso.org/public/images/bacon-fig6/The Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorerhttp://www.eso.org/public/images/bacon-fig4/
<img src="https://cdn.eso.org/images/news/bacon-fig4.jpg" border="0" align="left" /><p>This is the insertion of a integral field unit (IFU) into the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) main structure.</p>
<p>One complete IFU is visible before its insertion into the main structure. A dedicated tool (in yellow) has been built to ease the insertion while minimising the risk of damaging the delicate image slicer, located in the front of the IFU, or the cables of the cooling system.</p>
<p>More can be read about MUSE in <a href="http://www.eso.org/public/archives/periodicals/pdf/messenger_147.pdf">issue 147</a> of the Messenger.</p>
Tue, 30 Jul 2013 17:55:17 +0200http://www.eso.org/public/images/bacon-fig4/The Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorerhttp://www.eso.org/public/images/bacon-fig3/
<img src="https://cdn.eso.org/images/news/bacon-fig3.jpg" border="0" align="left" /><p>Front view of the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE).</p>
<p>The two electronics cabinets (one for the cooling system, the other for the fore-optics and calibration unit mechanism and lamps) can be seen in the foreground. The front part of the fore-optics is visible at the top of the main structure. It faces an optical system which simulates the Very Large Telescope (VLT) light beam.</p>
<p>More can be read about MUSE in <a href="http://www.eso.org/public/archives/periodicals/pdf/messenger_147.pdf">issue 147</a> of the Messenger.</p>
Tue, 30 Jul 2013 17:49:05 +0200http://www.eso.org/public/images/bacon-fig3/The Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer http://www.eso.org/public/images/bacon-fig1/
<img src="https://cdn.eso.org/images/news/bacon-fig1.jpg" border="0" align="left" /><p>One of the slicer image dissectors and the focusing mirror arrays from the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) are shown before assembly in the laboratory. MUSE is part of ESO's Very Large Telescope and you can learn more about it and it's parts in <a href="http://www.eso.org/public/archives/periodicals/pdf/messenger_147.pdf">issue 147</a> of the Messenger.</p>
Tue, 30 Jul 2013 17:44:37 +0200http://www.eso.org/public/images/bacon-fig1/One Small Part of SPHEREhttp://www.eso.org/public/images/kasper_fig4/
<img src="https://cdn.eso.org/images/news/kasper_fig4.jpg" border="0" align="left" /><p>This is a small part of the Spectro Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet Research instrument (SPHERE) which has one of the most exciting and challenging aims in modern astronomy; the direct imaging and spectral characterisation of exoplanets.</p>
<p>This particular instrument is a visible imaging polarimeter (ZIMPOL, Zurich Imaging Polarimeter) which should provide better contrast performance. To read more about it see <a href="http://www.eso.org/public/archives/periodicals/pdf/messenger_149.pdf">issue 149</a> of The Messenger.</p>
Tue, 30 Jul 2013 17:31:18 +0200http://www.eso.org/public/images/kasper_fig4/Deformable Secondary Mirror Transport Boxhttp://www.eso.org/public/images/arsenault_fig6a/
<img src="https://cdn.eso.org/images/news/arsenault_fig6a.jpg" border="0" align="left" /><p>This is the transport box for the thin-shell mirror of the second generation Very Large Telescope mirror unit, the deformable secondary mirror (DSM).</p>
<p>The transport box fulfils several functions as well as transport of the shell: the lower (concave) half is used to aid the removal and installation on the shell to the DSM and the convex half of the shell can be used as a “coating body”. </p>
<p>To find out more about the DSM and its construction and installation read <a href="http://www.eso.org/public/archives/periodicals/pdf/messenger_151.pdf">issue 151</a> of the messenger.</p>
Tue, 30 Jul 2013 17:16:33 +0200http://www.eso.org/public/images/arsenault_fig6a/