SLODAR instrument under the Paranal sky

This small telescope feeds an instrument that monitors the vertical profile of the atmospheric turbulence, using the so-called “Slope Detection and Ranging (SLODAR)” technique. The instrument, developed by Durham University and ESO, was deployed at ESO’s Paranal Observatory for a statistical characterisation of the site in March 2011. The Milky Way is clearly visible across the image. The brighter region in the upper part is the Carina Nebula. The silhouette of the 8.2-metre Yepun telescope is seen on the lower right. Above this, is the Large Magellanic Cloud, a neighbouring galaxy of the Milky Way.