First VLT excursion into deep space

This photo is a reproduction of a combination of five 15-minute exposures with the VLT Test Camera. They were obtained through a red filtre on June 5, 1998, during a spare period when no technical tests were scheduled. They cover a part of the Hubble Deep Field - South (about 1.3 x 1.3 arcmin, or about 1/400th of the area of the Full Moon). It is the VLT's first real look into deep space and represents a most promising demonstration of the VLT's future possibilities.