Side view of MATISSE in the lab

In preparation for integration into the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) at ESO’s Paranal Observatory, MATISSE (the Multi-AperTure mid-Infrared SpectroScopic Experiment) went through initial tests  at the Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur in France. MATISSE is capable of combining the light from up to four of the VLTI’s Unit Telescopes (UTs) or Auxiliary Telescopes (ATs), offering unique and fascinating observational capabilities.