Paranal Observatory just before sunrise

View looking west of the ESO Paranal Observatory, located about 120 km south of Antofagasta, in the Atacama Desert of Chile. Atop the 2600-metre high Cerro Paranal (in the background) is the Very Large Telescope (VLT), composed of four 8.2-metre Unit Telescopes (UTs), plus four 1.8-metre Auxiliary Telescopes (ATs). In this picture, taken just before sunrise, only two of the UTs' buildings are visible. On the same platform as the VLT, towards the right a smaller, grey-coloured building houses the 2.6-metre VLT Survey Telescope (VST). On the mountain in front is the 4.1-metre VISTA survey telescope. The VLT is the world's most advanced visible light observatory.

Credit:

ESO

About the Image

Id:paranal-7737
Type:Photographic
Release date:15 October 2010, 19:00
Size:2873 x 4310 px

About the Object

Name:Paranal, Very Large Telescope, Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy
Type:Unspecified : Technology : Observatory
Category:Paranal

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