VLT

VLT (Very Large Telescope) - VLTI (Very Large Telescope Interferometer)

In 1993, the ESO launched the VLT (Very Large Telescope) project and decided to install it on the site of Cerro Paranal in the Chilean Andes, where the climate is particularly favourable to astronomical observations. It is a set of four 8.20 m telescopes (optical and infrared) (1998 (Antu), 1999 (Kueyen), 2000 (Melipal) and 2001 for Yepun) arranged in a trapezoid configuration and four 1.80 m auxiliary telescopes (AT). These small 1.8 m telescopes can be moved along rail tracks to form an interferometer equivalent to a 200 m optical telescope when the eight VLT telescopes are active.