The VLT Visitor Focus
During Period 92, the Cassegrain focus of ESO VLT UT2 (Kueyen) is available for Visitor Instruments to permit innovative observations by instrument teams using their own stand-alone instruments. Visitor Instruments are free from a substantial fraction of the requirements imposed on the fully automated VLT facility instruments. In addition, Visitor Instruments can provide a powerful scientific or technical test bench for new instrumental concepts, which may eventually be incorporated later in VLT or other instruments.
Teams that want to propose the use of their Visitor Instruments should follow these instructions.
The technical requirements imposed by ESO on Visitor Instruments are available here. See also our Gallery. The Visitor focus was originally located on UT3-Melipal then moved to Nasmyth B on UT1-Antu in 2009. No Visitor Focus was available between P89 and P91, inclusive, on the VLT.
Past Visitor Instruments:
Instrument |
Date | remarks |
|---|---|---|
| ULTRACAM | May 2005 November 2005 June 2007 |
Ultra-fast Movies of the Sky |
| DAZLE | November 2006 January 2008 |
|
| APE | December 2008, February 2009 | Active Phasing Experiment (APE) for the ELT |