Highlights of La Silla

In this image two of La Silla's telescopes are shown on elevated plateaus at the observatory. On the left is the New Technology Telescope (NTT). This was the first telescope with active optics and functioned as a trial-run for the optics used by the Very Large Telescope (VLT). A bit higher up on the right is the ESO 3.6-metre telescope. This telescope has the High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher (HARPS) — the world's foremost planet hunter — mounted to it. In the smaller dome attached to the ESO 3.6-metre telescope is the decommissioned Coudé Auxiliary telescope.