ESO's La Silla telescopes in 2016

In this video you are introduced to the cast of ESO's La Silla observatory high up in the Chilean mountains. The telescopes appear in order of size, from the largest, the 3.6-metre telescope, to the smallest, the 0.6-metre TRAPPIST telescope. All have made major contributions to our understanding of the Universe, proving that size is no barrier to producing good scientific results. The last telescope shown is the Swedish-ESO Submillimetre telescope, which was decommissioned in 2003 and now stands gazing out across the desert, a monument to its career at the forefront of astronomy. The video ends with a trip to the control room, where astronomers direct the telescopes, and are protected from the cold outside.

The material has been edited especially for broadcast use, without commentary or music.