VLT Whitebook

Whitebook cover - the VLT Observatory at Paranal [JPG: 212k].

The VLT Whitebook describes the various scientific, technological and organisational aspects of the Very Large Telescope (VLT) project of the European Southern Observatory (ESO). It will become the world's largest optical telescope when it is completed, a few years from now.

The VLT will provide the European scientific community with a ground-based, optical and infrared telescope that is second to none in terms of great collecting area and high angular resolving power . It will be equipped with state-of-the-art imaging and spectroscopic instruments.

The VLT Whitebook is divided into 10 chapters that may be accessed via the List of Contents. The level of detail and the presentation have been chosen to give its intended audience - mainly VLT users - an overview of their new facility.

The document was kept up-to-date until the VLT First Light event late May 1998 and does not reflect more recent developments. Learn about the current status.