VLT Survey Telescope, Large survey telescope at Paranal Observatory, Chile
The VLT Survey Telescope is a research telescope measuring 2.65 meters in diameter located at Paranal Observatory in the Atacama Desert at 2635 meters elevation. It uses the OmegaCAM system with 32 CCD detectors that simultaneously capture 268-megapixel images and survey large areas of the sky.
The telescope was built between 2007 and 2011 and experienced a setback when the first mirror was damaged during transport from Europe to Chile. It was developed as a European-Italian collaboration to advance astronomical research and observation.
The European Southern Observatory and Italian Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte initiated this scientific collaboration in 1997 to advance astronomical research.
The remote high-altitude location offers exceptionally dark skies and stable atmospheric conditions for precise observations. Visitors should prepare for the significant elevation and allow time for acclimatization.
The field of view spans roughly twice the width of the full moon, allowing large sections of the sky to be captured in a single exposure. This makes it particularly valuable for systematic sky surveys and discovering objects across vast celestial regions.
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