Opening NTT

A 360 degree panorama view taken in 2007 inside the 3.58-metre New Technology Telescope (NTT), at ESO's La Silla Observatory. As the preparation for the night-time observing run is almost completed, the telescope is open, just before sunset. Through the open door, the ESO 3.6-metre telescope is partially visible. Although it is not obvious in this image due to the panoramic projection, the NTT is housed in a very compact building, thanks to its altazimuth mounting and innovative design. Inaugurated in 1989, the NTT was also the first telescope in the world to have a computer-controlled main mirror. The NTT was, in terms of many aspects of its design, the pioneer for ESOs Very Large Telescope.