Video News Release 4: VLT UT1 Soon Ready to Receive the Astronomers

ESO Video News Reel 4 ("VLT UT1 Soon Ready to Receive the Astronomers") is published on February 16, 1999, in connection with the start, on April 1, 1999, of regular observations with the VLT UT1 and the associated events in Chile. These include the VLT Opening Symposium in Antofagasta (March 1-4, 1999) and the official VLT Inauguration Ceremony at Paranal (March 5, 1999). The video commences with some aerial views of the Paranal observatory, obtained from a helicopter in 1998 and new sequences from the ground. The four UT-enclosures are now all closed and the civil construction work at the telescope platform is approaching the final stage. An animated sequence illustrates the functioning of the VLT Interferometer in the future. The UT1 is shown with attached instruments, followed by the UT2 telescope structure, now almost ready ("first light" in March 1999). Scenes from the VLT Control Room. National flags flying at Paranal. Panoramic view of the telescope platform. A sequence of VLT astronomical images. Sunset behind Paranal, as seen from the nearby "NTT Peak".

This Video News Release is targeted especially at broadcasters for further editing. In order to keep the audio tracks editable, different sound information has been recorded on two separate tracks at optimal volumes as is common standard in professional post production. This video is not meant for on screen viewing — on ESOcasts are better suited for that.