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A step forward for recycling
January 31, 2000This was a night to remember at the ESO Paranal Observatory! For the first time, three 8.2-m VLT telescopes were observing in parallel, with a combined mirror surface of nearly 160 m2.
In the evening of January 26, the third 8.2-m Unit Telescope, MELIPAL ("The Southern Cross" in the Mapuche language), was pointed to the sky for the first time and successfully achieved "First Light".
During this night, a number of astronomical exposures were made that served to evaluate provisionally the performance of the new telescope. The ESO staff expressed great satisfaction with MELIPAL and there were broad smiles all over the mountain.
During the first adjustment of the optical mirrors, by means of the "active optics", images measuring only 0.46 arcsec in diameter were obtained. This is a truly excellent value, especially at this early stage.
A series of exposures were made of the central area of the Crab Nebula, the well-known supernova remnant in the constellation Taurus. Some of these were combined into a colour image, presented with the ESO Press Release.
The ESO Director General, Dr. Catherine Cesarsky, was present in the Control Room during these operations. She expressed great satisfaction with the excellent result and warmly congratulated the ESO staff to this achievement.
She was particularly impressed by the apparent ease with which a completely new telescope of this size could be adjusted in such a short time. A part of her statement on this occasion was recorded on ESO PR Video Clip 02/00 that accompanies this Press Release.
European Southern Observatory (ESO)
During the first adjustment of the optical mirrors, by means of the "active optics", images measuring only 0.46 arcsec in diameter were obtained. This is a truly excellent value, especially at this early stage.
A series of exposures were made of the central area of the Crab Nebula, the well-known supernova remnant in the constellation Taurus. Some of these were combined into a colour image, presented with the ESO Press Release.
The ESO Director General, Dr. Catherine Cesarsky, was present in the Control Room during these operations. She expressed great satisfaction with the excellent result and warmly congratulated the ESO staff to this achievement.
She was particularly impressed by the apparent ease with which a completely new telescope of this size could be adjusted in such a short time. A part of her statement on this occasion was recorded on ESO PR Video Clip 02/00 that accompanies this Press Release.
European Southern Observatory (ESO)
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