The big picture

摘要

The world's largest optical telescope array, scheduled for completion around 2003, is already producing useful images. When finished, the European Southern Obsersatory's Yen Large telescope (VLT) will consist of four large telescopes and three smaller ones that work in unison. The first of these telescopes to be constructed generated more than 200 images during its moments ot "first light" at the Paranal summit in Chile a few months ago. The pictures demonstrate that the VLT is measuring up to its design goals: producing high-quality images while retaining the ability to discern distant objects undetectable by smaller telescopes. "That's the beauy ot this telescope," says Richard West, an astronomer at the obsenaton.