Spectacular Cosmic Visions from ESO's Paranal Observatory (Gallery)

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By Space.com Staff
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Don't It Make My Green Flash Blue

Guillaume Blanchard

A blue flash of the sun appears more rarely than the green flash optical phenomenon. This image was taken from the Paranal Residencia. The intense blue, with purple edges, prove the phenomenon is real, not an optical illusion.

It's Only a Glass Moon

ESO/G.Hüdepohl

The Moon normally appears too large and bright for the sensitive 8.2-metre Unit Telescopes that make up ESO’s Very Large Telescope. However, in 2002, the Moon's image was projected onto a sandblasted glass plate for the astronomers and engineers.

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Space.com Staff
Space.com Staff
News and editorial team

Space.com is the premier source of space exploration, innovation and astronomy news, chronicling (and celebrating) humanity's ongoing expansion across the final frontier. Originally founded in 1999, Space.com is, and always has been, the passion of writers and editors who are space fans and also trained journalists. Our current news team consists of Editor-in-Chief Tariq Malik; Editor Hanneke Weitering, Senior Space Writer Mike Wall; Senior Writer Meghan Bartels; Senior Writer Chelsea Gohd, Senior Writer Tereza Pultarova and Staff Writer Alexander Cox, focusing on e-commerce. Senior Producer Steve Spaleta oversees our space videos, with Diana Whitcroft as our Social Media Editor.