Instrumentation at the ESO VLT

Alan F. M. Moorwood

doi:10.1117/12.553117

Translator Disclaimer

30 September 2004 Instrumentation at the ESO VLT

Alan F. M. Moorwood

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 5492, Ground-based Instrumentation for Astronomy; (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.553117
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2004, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Abstract

ESO celebrated the end of the first 5 years of very successful operation of its VLT in Chile on 1st April 2004 and is now set to expand this facility further with the addition of several 1.8 m, movable outrigger telescopes for interferometry, the VST (VLT survey telescope) and the VISTA (infrared) survey telescope. Here I will review briefly the status of the 8 operational 1st generation VLT/VLTI instruments plus the 3 in commissioning and the 3 still in development and will introduce the first 3 of the 2nd generation instruments which have recently been approved. I will also discuss briefly some of the 'Lessons Learned' from the development of the 1st generation instruments during an exercise conducted in 2003 with the participation of the external consortia of institutes to which ESO contracted out much of the instrument development.

Citation Download Citation

Alan F. M. Moorwood "Instrumentation at the ESO VLT", Proc. SPIE 5492, Ground-based Instrumentation for Astronomy, (30 September 2004); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.553117

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE