ESO Glossary of Acronyms
The present list contains the most common acronyms used by ESO, but does not pretend to be complete.
| 4-LGSF | Four-Laser Guide Star Facility |
| 4T | Four Telescope (VLTI mode) |
| A&A | Journal, Astronomy & Astrophysics |
| ACD | Amplitude Calibration Device (ALMA) |
| AEM | ALMA construction consortium |
| AIDA | Astronomical Infrastructure for Data Access |
| AIV | Assembly, Integration and Verification |
| ALMA | Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array |
| AMBER | Astronomical Multi-BEam combineR (VLTI Instrument) |
| Antu | VLT Unit Telescope 1 |
| AO | Adaptive Optics |
| AOF | Adaptive Optics Facility |
| AOS | Array Operations Site (ALMA) |
| APEX | Atacama Pathfinder Experiment |
| Aquarius | Mid-infrared detector array (VISIR) |
| ARAL | Alignment facility for the VLTI |
| ARC | ALMA Regional Centre |
| ASIC | Application Specific Integrated Circuit |
| ASSIST | Adaptive Secondary Setup and Instrument Simulator (AOF) |
| AstraLux | Lucky Imaging camera for the Calar Alto 2.2-metre telescope |
| AT | Auxiliary Telescope for the VLTI |
| ATC | Astronomy Technology Centre (United Kingdom) |
| ATILO | Administrative Tribunal of the International Labour Organisation |
| AU | Astronomical Unit |
| AVM | Astronomical Visualisation Metadata |
| BE | Back-End (ALMA) |
| CADC | Canadian Astronomy Data Centre |
| CAPj | Communicating Astronomy with the Public Journal |
| CCD | Charge Coupled Device |
| CDR | Critical Design Review |
| CERN | European Organization for Nuclear Research |
| CES | Coude Echelle Spectrometer |
| CMB | Cosmic Microwave Background |
| CMOS | Complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor |
| CNAM | Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers |
| CONICA | COudé Near-Infrared CAmera (VLT) |
| CORALIE | Echelle Spectrograph on the 1.2-metre Leonard Euler Swiss telescope |
| CoRoT | COnvection ROtation and planetary Transits (French Satellite) |
| CP | Calibration Programme |
| CRIRES | Cryogenic InfraRed Echelle Spectrometer (VLT) |
| CSV | Commissioning and Science Verification |
| DC | Direct Current |
| DDS | Data DistributIOn middleware for SPARTA |
| DDT | Director's Discretionary Time |
| DG | Director General |
| DL | Delay Line (VLTI) |
| DMO | Data Management and Operations Division |
| DSM | Deformable Secondary Mirror |
| DSO | Department of Science Operations (ALMA) |
| EASC | European ALMA Support Centre |
| EC | European Commission |
| ECRI | European Conference on Research Infrastructures |
| E-ELT | European Extremely Large Telescope |
| EFOSC2 | ESO Faint Object Spectrograph and Camera (v.2) |
| EIROforum | Organisation consisting of the seven largest scientific European international organisations devoted to fostering mutual activities |
| EMBL | European Molecular Biology Laboratory (Germany) |
| EMMI | ESO Multi-Mode Instrument (NTT) |
| ePOD | education and Public Outreach Department |
| ERP | Enterprise Resource Planning |
| ESA | European Space Agency |
| ESAC | European Science Advisory Committee (for ALMA) |
| ESE | ELT Science and Engineering |
| ESPRESSO | Echelle SPectrograph for Rocky Exoplanet- and Stable Spectroscopic Observations |
| ESM | European School Munich |
| ESO | European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere |
| ESOF | Euroscience Open Forum |
| ESON | ESO Science Outreach Network |
| ESRC | E-ELT Standing Review Committee |
| EU | European Union |
| EVALSO | Enabling Virtual Access to Latin-american Southern Observatories |
| FC | Finance Committee |
| FE | Front End |
| FEA | Finite Element Analysis |
| FEED | Front-End Engineering Design (E-ELT) |
| FEIC | Front-End Integration Centres (ALMA) |
| FE IPT | Front-End Integrated Project Team (ALMA) |
| FEROS | Fibre-fed, Extended Range, Échelle Spectrograph (2.2-metre) |
| FITS | Flexible Image Transport System |
| FORS1 | FOcal Reducer/low dispersion Spectrograph (VLT)-1 |
| FORS2 | FOcal Reducer/low dispersion Spectrograph (VLT)-2 |
| FOS | Faint Object Spectrograph (HST) |
| FP | Fabry-Perot |
| FP6 | Sixth EC Framework Programme |
| FP7 | Seventh EC Framework Programme |
| FTE | Full Time Equivalent |
| FWHM | Full Width at Half Maximum |
| GALACSI | Ground Atmospheric Layer Adaptive Optics for Spectroscopic Imaging (AOF) |
| GB | Gigabyte |
| GÉANT | European multi-gigabit computer network for research and education purposes |
| GHz | Gigahertz |
| GIRAFFE | Medium-high resolution (R=7500-30000) spectrograph (VLT) |
| GRAAL | GRound-layer Adaptive optics Assisted by Lasers (AOF) |
| GRAVITY | AO assisted, two-object, multiple-beam-combiner (VLTI) |
| GTC | Gran Telescopio Canarias |
| GUI | Graphical User Interface |
| HARMONI | Visible and near-infrared integral field spectrograph (E-ELT) |
| HARPS | High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planetary Searcher (3.6-metre) |
| HAWK-I | High Acuity Wide field K-band Imager (VLT) |
| HCI | Human Computer Interface |
| HIA | Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics (Canada) |
| HR | Human Resources |
| HST | Hubble Space Telescope |
| HVAC | Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning |
| IAU | International Astronomical Union |
| IFS | Integral Field Spectrograph (SPHERE, E-ELT) |
| IFU | Integral Field Unit |
| INAF | Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (Italy) |
| INRIA | Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique |
| IPP | Max-Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (Germany) |
| IPSAS | International Public Sector Accounting Standards |
| IPT | Integrated Product Team (ALMA) |
| IR | InfraRed |
| IRAM | Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique |
| IRDIS | InfraRed Dual-beam Imager and Spectrograph (SPHERE, E-ELT) |
| IRIS | VLTI Infrared Image Sensor |
| IRO | International Relations Office |
| ISAAC | Infrared Spectrometer And Array Camera (VLT) |
| IT | Information Technology |
| ITER | International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor |
| IVOA | International Virtual Observatory Alliance |
| IVSLA | Istituto Veneto di Scienze ed Arti |
| IYA2009 | International Year of Astronomy 2009 |
| JAO | Joint ALMA Observatory |
| JENAM | Joint European and National Astronomy Meeting |
| JWST | James Webb Space Telescope |
| KMOS | K-band Multi-Object Spectrograph (VLT) |
| Kueyan | VLT Unit Telescope 2 |
| LABOCA | Large APEX Bolometer CAmera |
| LAOG | Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de l'Observatoire de Grenoble |
| LGS | Laser Guide Star |
| LGSF | Laser Guide Star Facility |
| LMC | Large Magellanic Cloud |
| LOFAR | Low Frequency Array |
| LP | Large Programme |
| LSP | La Silla Paranal Committee |
| Mn | Mirror #n |
| MAD | Multi-conjugate Adaptive optics Demonstrator |
| mas | milliarcseconds |
| MASCOT | Mini All-Sky Cloud Observation Tool (Paranal) |
| MATISSE | Multi AperTure mid-Infrared SpectroScopic Experiment (VLTI) |
| Melipal | VLT Unit Telescope 3 |
| MERIL | Mapping the European Research Infrastructure Landscape |
| MICADO | Diffraction-limited camera (E-ELT) |
| MIDI | Mid-infrared Interferometric Instrument (VLTI) |
| MIM | Museo Interactivo Mirador, Santiago |
| MIT | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| MPA | Max-Planck Institute for Astrophysics |
| MPE | Max-Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (Germany) |
| MPG | Max-Planck-Gesellschaft |
| MPIfR | Max-Planck Institute for Radioastronomy (Germany) |
| MUSE | Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (VLT) |
| NACO | NAOS-CONICA (VLT) |
| NAOJ | National Astronomical Observatory of Japan |
| NAOMI | Adaptive optics system for the Ats (VLTI) |
| NAOS | Nasmyth Adaptive Optics System (VLT) |
| NASA | National Aeronautics and Space Administration |
| NGC | New General detector Controller |
| NOVA | The Netherlands Research School for Astronomy (Nederlandse Onderzoekschool voor Astronomie) |
| NRAO | National Radio Astronomical Observatory |
| NTT | New Technology Telescope |
| OBAMA | Optical Bidule for Aberration Measurement on the ATs |
| OmegaCAM | Optical Camera for the VST |
| OPC | Observing Programmes Committee |
| OPO | Observing Programmes Office |
| OPTICON | Optical Infrared Coordination Network for Astronomy |
| OSF | ALMA Operations Support Facilities |
| OSO | Onsala Space Observatory |
| OT | Observing Tool |
| OTS | Operations Technical Support |
| P2PP | Peer to Peer Protocol |
| P86 | Observing Period 86 |
| P87 | Observing Period 87 |
| PACMAN | Fringe tracker for PRIMA (VLTI) |
| PB | Petabyte |
| PI | Principal Investigator |
| PIONIER | VLTI visitor instrument |
| PLC | Programmable Logic Controllers (E-ELT) |
| PRIMA | Phase-Referenced Imaging and Micro-arcsecond Astrometry facility (VLTI) |
| QUEST | QUasar Equatorial Survey Team |
| R&D | Research and Development |
| RAB | Reflector Assembly Building |
| RAL | Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot (UK) |
| RedCLARA | Latin American Advanced Networks Cooperation (Academic data network in Latin America) |
| REM | Rapid Eye Movement Telescope (La Silla) |
| REUNA | Red Universitaria Nacional (Academic data network in Chile) |
| RM | Rossiter-McClaughlin (effect) |
| RMN | Reflective Memory Network (VLTI) |
| rms | Root mean square |
| SABOCA | Shortwave Apex BOlometer Camera |
| SAC | EURO-VO Science Advisory Committee |
| SAF | Science Archive Facility |
| SCAO | Single-Conjugated Adaptive Optics |
| SCO | Santiago Central Office (ALMA/ESO Vitacura) |
| SDD | Software Development Division |
| SE | System Engineering (ALMA) |
| SEO | Search Engine Operations |
| SHFI | Swedish Heterodyne Facility Instrument (APEX) |
| SINFONI | Spectrograph for INtegral Field Observations in the Near Infrared (VLT) |
| SKA | Square Kilometer Array |
| SM4 | Servicing Mission 4 (HST) |
| SOFI | SOn oF Isaac (NTT) |
| SOPHIE | Spectrographe pour l’Observation des Phénomènes des Intérieurs stellaires et des Exoplanètes |
| SPARTA | Real-time computer platform for AOF and SPHERE |
| SPHERE | Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet Research instrument (VLT) |
| SSED | Software System Engineering Department |
| SSWG | Science Strategy Working Group |
| STC | Scientific Technical Committee |
| ST-ECF | Space Telescope European Coordination Facility |
| STFC | Science and Technology Facilities Council (UK) |
| STRAP | Tip-tilt sensors (VLTI) |
| STScI | Space Telescope Science Institute (USA) |
| SUSI2 | Superb Seeing Imager 2 (NTT) |
| sub-mm | submillimetre |
| TAROT | Télescope à Action Rapide pour les Objets Transitoires |
| TB | Terabyte |
| TEC | Technology Division |
| TFB | Tunable Filter Bank (ALMA) |
| TIMMI | TIMMI far-infrared camera (ESO 3.6-metre telescope) |
| ToO | Target of Opportunity |
| TRAPPIST | TRAnsiting Planets and PlanetesImals Small Telescope |
| TRR | Test Readiness Review |
| UC | Users Committee |
| UK | United Kingdom |
| ULTRACAM | High-speed camera (NTT) |
| UN | United Nations |
| UNCOPUOS | United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Spac |
| USD | User Support Department |
| USM | University Observatory Munich |
| UT | Unit Telescope of the VLT |
| UT1–4 | VLT Unit Telescopes 1–4: Antu, Kueyen, Melipal and Yepun |
| UV | UltraViolet |
| UVES | UV-Visual Echelle Spectrograph (VLT) |
| VIMOS | VIsible MultiObject Spectrograph (VLT) |
| VINCI | VLT INterferometer Commissioning Instrument (VLTI) |
| VIRCAM | VISTA IR Camera |
| VISA | VLTI Sub-Array |
| VISIR | VLT Mid-Infrared Imager Spectrometer |
| VISTA | Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy |
| VLT | Very Large Telescope |
| VLTI | Very Large Telescope Interferometer |
| VO | Virtual Observatory |
| VOP | Virtual Observatory Project Office |
| VSS | Variability Sky Survey |
| VST | VLT Survey Telescope |
| WASP | Wide Angle Search for Planets survey |
| WFCAM | Infrared wide field camera for the UK Infrared Telescope on Mauna Kea |
| WFI | Wide Field Imager (2.2-metre) |
| WVR | Water Vapour Radiometer (ALMA) |
| XMM-Newton | X-ray Multi-Mirror satellite (ESA) |
| X-shooter | Wideband ultraviolet-infrared single target spectrograph (VLT) |
| Yepun | VLT Unit Telescope 4 |
| ZIMPOL | Zurich Imaging Polarimeter (SPHERE, E-ELT) |
| Z-Spec | Millimetre-wave spectrograph (APEX visitor instrument) |