Opening NTT

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Panoramic view taken in 2007 inside the 3.58-metre New Technology Telescope (NTT), at ESO's La Silla Observatory. As the preparation for the night-time observation run is about to finalise, the telescope is open, just before sunset. Although it is not obvious in this photograph due to the distortion of the wide-angle view, the NTT is housed in a very compact building, thanks to its altazimuth mounting and innovative design. Inaugurated in 1989, the NTT was also the first telescope in the world to have a computer-controlled main mirror. In terms of design, the NTT was the pioneer for ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT).

An amazing interactive virtual tour of La Silla is available here

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