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The '''Very Large Telescope''' ('''VLT''') is an optical ] currently under construction. The VLT is a project of the ] organization. The '''Very Large Telescope''' ('''VLT''') is an optical ] currently under construction. The VLT is a project of the ] organization.


It will be located at the ] on ], a 2,635-m high mountain in the ] in northern ]. It will be located at the ] on ], a 2,635-m high mountain in the ] in northern ].


The VLT consists of a cluster of large telescopes, some of which are already in operation, with a central ] which will be used to resolve fine features. The VLT consists of a cluster of large telescopes, some of which are already in operation, with a central ] which will be used to resolve fine features.

Revision as of 15:51, 27 January 2003

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:

External links