VLT Unit Telescope 1 in its enclosure

This image was obtained on the day of VLT UT1 First Light (May 25, 1998) by ESO photographer Herbert Zodet, using special equipment to achieve the necessary view and photographic sharpness in the narrow space available within the enclosure. There is an unavoidable distortion of perspective due to the extreme angle. Note in particular the simultaneous visibility of the primary and the secondary mirrors and the amount of detail of the lateral supports of the active optics system at the primary mirror. The Test Camera with which the First Light images were obtained, is seen at the bottom of the M1 Cell (that supports the primary mirror).

Equipment used include a Sinar P camera; Kodak Ektachrome 100S film (4 x 5 inch); Rodenstock Apo-Grandagon 55 mm lens at f=5.6/8 and 110 o field-of-view; Exposure 8 seconds in floodlights. The original slide was scanned at the ESO HQ in Garching at 3300 x 4350 pix resolution and slightly processed with Adobe Photoshop 4.0.