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| In its full interferometric operating mode, the VLT is intended to achieve an effective angular resolution of 0.001 ] at a wavelength of 1 µm. This is an angle of 0.000000005 radians, equivalent to resolving a target 2 meters across at the distance between the Earth and Moon. | In its full interferometric operating mode, the VLT is intended to achieve an effective angular resolution of 0.001 ] at a wavelength of 1 µm. This is an angle of 0.000000005 radians, equivalent to resolving a target 2 meters across at the distance between the Earth and Moon. | ||
| This should easily resolve the 5-metre wide Lunar Module bases left on the Moon by the Apollo moon missions, and a group of European scientists intends to do just that. | This should easily resolve the 5-metre wide Lunar Module bases left on the Moon by the Apollo moon missions, and a group of European scientists intends to do just that to challenge the ]. | ||
| See also: | See also: | ||
Revision as of 02:53, 30 November 2002
The Very Large Telescope (VLT) is an optical telescope currently under construction. The VLT is a project of the European Southern Observatory organization.
It will be located at the Paranal Observatory on Cerro Paranal, a 2,635-m high mountain in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile.
The VLT consists of a cluster of large telescopes, some of which are already in operation, with a central interferometer which will be used to resolve fine features.
The VLT can be operated in three modes:
- as a set of independent telescopes
- as a single large incoherent instrument, for extra light-gathering capacity
- as a single large coherent interferometric instrument, for extra resolution
In its full interferometric operating mode, the VLT is intended to achieve an effective angular resolution of 0.001 arcsecond at a wavelength of 1 µm. This is an angle of 0.000000005 radians, equivalent to resolving a target 2 meters across at the distance between the Earth and Moon.
This should easily resolve the 5-metre wide Lunar Module bases left on the Moon by the Apollo moon missions, and a group of European scientists intends to do just that to challenge the Apollo moon landing conspiracy theory.
See also: