Sunset Paranal

Three of the four Unit Telescopes of ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) sit on the platform at Paranal, framed against a dramatic sunset. Each UT has a mirror 8.2 metres in diameter, putting them among some of the largest single-mirror telescopes in the world. Individually, each one can see astronomical objects four billion times fainter than what can be seen with the unaided eye, and used in combination they are even more powerful. The clouds in this image make for an interesting backdrop, but Paranal has excellent overall viewing conditions; with about 300 clear nights per year, it is the ideal location for astronomers to make the best use of the sophisticated VLT to study the night sky and deepen our understanding of the Universe.