CHILE Mount Paranal -- 24 May 2000 -- A view of the Paranal platform with the four 8.2m VLT Unit Telescopes

CHILE Mount Paranal -- 24 May 2000 -- A view of the Paranal platform with the four 8.2m VLT Unit Telescopes (UTs) and the foundations for the 1.8m VLT Auxiliary Telescopes (ATs) that together will be used as the VLT Interferometer (VLTI). These telescopes are among those which have made the clearest pictures of space yet using revolutionary technology developed by British and American scientists. This 'Lucky Picture' technology allows ground-based telescopes such as these to capture images free of atmospheric distortion, which has always given the Hubble space-based telescope an edge on coventional ones. The developers hope to make the technology widely availabel, greatly enhancing the image quality of any ground-based telescope that uses it. Astronomers say the improved clarity of these images will lead to better understanding of how star clusters behave, among other things. The three ATs will move on rails (yet to be installed) between the thirty observing stations above the holes that provide access to the underlying tunnel system. The light beams from the individual telescopes will be guided towards the centrally located, partly underground Interferometry Laboratory in which the VLTI instruments will be set up. This photo was obtained in December 1999 at which time some construction materials were still present on the platform- they were electronically removed (by the ESO) in this reproduction -- Picture by Lightroom Photos / ESO