Opening UT1

A 360 degree panorama view taken in 2007 inside the first of the four 8.2-metre Unit Telescopes (UTs) of ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) at Paranal. Designated Unit Telescope 1, or UT1, and named Antu (“the Sun” in the indigenous Mapuche language), this complex science machine has been in operation at Paranal since 1999. Just before sunset, engineers and technicians open the telescopes, finalising the preparation for the night-time observation run. Although it is not obvious in this image due to the panoramic projection, the UTs are housed in compact buildings thanks to their altazimuth mounting and innovative design. Composed of four 8.2-metre UTs and four 1.8-metre mobile Auxiliary Telescopes (ATs), the ESO VLT is the world's most advanced optical ground-based telescope.

Links to alternative projections of this image:

• Extended to 360 x 180 degrees (with black) version of this image