Paranal Instruments Summary Table
| Instrument | Spectral Coverage | Observing Mode | Spectral Resolution | Multiplex | Note | Telescope |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NACO | IR 1-5 µm |
imaging, imaging polarimetry, coronagraphy (Angular Groove Phase Mask) in 3.5 to 4.2µm filters, sparse aperture masking (incl. w/polarimetry), Angular Differential Imaging (Pupil Tracking) | - | no | AO with visible and IR wave front sensor; no AO and Cube Mode available |
VLT UT1 |
| FORS2 | optical 330 - 1100 nm |
imaging (incl. configurable occulting bars), long slit and multi-object spectroscopy, spectropolarimetry, imaging polarimetry | 260 - 2600 | yes | Spectroscopy with ~7' long slit, ~20" multi-slit, and laser-cut slit masks; high time resolution imaging; high time resolution modes spectroscopy and multiple object spectroscopy in visitor mode only; RRM | VLT UT1 |
| KMOS | near-IR 0.8 - 2.5 µm |
multi-object integral field spectroscopy (24 arms) | 1800 - 4000 | yes | 24-arms Integral Field Spectroscopy; 2.8x2.8", 0.2" sampling IFU over a 7.2' field; | VLT UT1 |
| FLAMES | optical 370 - 950 nm |
multi-fibre echelle,integral field spectroscopy | 6000 - 47000 | yes | 132 Medusa fibres; 15 deployable IFUs, one large IFU; GIRAFFE: single echelle order; 8 fibres to UVES | VLT UT2 |
| X-SHOOTER | UV-optical-NIR 300 - 2500 nm |
echelle, slit and integral field spectroscopy | ~5000-17000 | no | full spectral coverage with one pointing; slit + IFU; RRM | VLT UT2 |
| UVES | optical 300 - 1100 nm |
echelle, image slicer, slit spectroscopy | up to 80,000 (blue arm) / 110,000 (red arm) | no | long slit capability in single order; iodine cell; RRM | VLT UT2 |
| SPHERE | optical: 500 - 900 nm near-IR: 0.95 - 2.32 µm |
high-contrast imaging, dual-band imaging, integral field spectroscopy, differential-polarimetric imaging with or without classical, apodized pupil Lyot or four-quadrant phase mask coronagraphs | ~30, 50, 400 | no | extreme AO with optical wave-front sensor. | VLT UT3 |
| VISIR | mid-IR: 4.5 - 21 µm | M, N and Q band normal and busrt-mode imaging; coronagraphy (Angular Groove Phase Mask, 4-Quadrant Phase Mask); N band low resolution long slit spectroscopy; high-resolution long slit and cross-dispersed spectroscopy | ~400, 20000 | no | pixel size of 0.045 arcsec in imaging and 0.076 arcsec in spectroscopy | VLT UT3 |
| VIMOS | optical 360 - 1000 nm |
imaging, multi-object spectroscopy, integral field spectroscopy | 200-3000 | yes | IFU size on sky from 13"x13" to 54"x54"; multi-object spectroscopy (MOS) with 4 laser-cut slit masks; Imaging and MOS field of view 4 times 7'x8'. | VLT UT3 |
| HAWK-I | near-IR 0.85-2.5 µm | imaging, fast photometry | - | - | pixel size of 0.106"; field: 7.5'x7.5', subwindow readout capability; RRM | VLT UT4 |
| SINFONI | near-IR 1.1 - 2.45 µm |
integral field spectroscopy | 1500-4000 | no | AO with natural and laser guide star; no AO; RRM | VLT UT4 |
| MUSE |
465 - 930 nm |
integral field spectroscopy | 1770 @ 480nm 3590 @ 930nm |
no | IFU size on sky 60"x60", spaxel size 0.2" |
VLT UT4 |
| AMBER | near-IR 1.5 - 2.5 µm |
spectro - interferometry | R~30, 1500 or 12000 | no | 3 beam combiner - delivers spectrally dispersed visibilities, differential and closure phases | VLTI - ATs VLTI - UTs |
| GRAVITY | near-IR 2.05 - 2.45 µm |
spectro-interferometry | R ~ 500 to 4000 | no |
4 beam combiner - delivers spectrally dispersed visibilities, differential and closure phases |
VLTI - ATs |
| PIONIER | near-IR 1.65 µm |
spectro - interferometry | R ~ 5 or 40 |
no | 4 beam combiner - delivers spectrally dispersed visibilities, differential and closure phases |
VLTI - ATs VLTI - UTs |
| VIRCAM | near-IR 0.8-2.2 µm |
imaging | - | - | 1.5 degree x 1 degree field of view with 0.34" average pixel size | VISTA |
| OmegaCAM | optical 350-910 nm | imaging | - | - | 1 degree x 1 degree unvignetted field of view with 0.21" pixel size | VST |