Amazing Space Views of ESO's Very Large Telescope (Photos)

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Rose Red Stars

ESO/Manu Mejias, images

The star cluster NGC 371 appears in this new image from ESO’s Very Large Telescope.

Carina Nebula Imaged by the VLT Survey Telescope

ESO. Acknowledgement: VPHAS+ Consortium/Cambridge Astronomical Survey Unit

The spectacular star-forming Carina Nebula has been captured in great detail by the VLT Survey Telescope at ESO’s Paranal Observatory. This picture was taken with the help of Sebastián Piñera, President of Chile, during his visit to the observatory on June 5, 2012 and released on the occasion of the new telescope's inauguration in Naples on Dec. 6, 2012.

Planetary Nebula Fleming 1

ESO/H. Boffin

This ESO Very Large Telescope image shows the planetary nebula Fleming 1 in the constellation of Centaurus (The Centaur). New observations suggest that a very rare pair of white dwarf stars lies at the heart of this object, with their orbital motions explaining the nebula's remarkably symmetric jet structures. Image released Nov. 8, 2012.

Sharpening Up Jupiter

ESO/F. Marchis, M. Wong, E. Marchetti, P. Amico, S. Tordo

Amazing image of Jupiter taken in infrared light on the night of Aug. 17, 2008 with the Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics Demonstrator (MAD) prototype instrument mounted on ESO's Very Large Telescope.

Spectrum of a Large Exoplanet

ESO/M. Janson

This spectrum of a large exoplanet, about 130 light years away from Earth, was taken using ESO's Very Large Telescope.

Cosmic Jewel Box Photographed in Detail

ESO/Y. Beletsky

The FORS1 instrument on the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) at ESO’s Paranal Observatory was used to take this exquisitely sharp close up view of the colourful Jewel Box cluster, NGC 4755. The telescope’s huge mirror allowed very short exposure times.

Tom Chao
Tom Chao
Tom Chao has contributed to SPACE.com as a producer and writer since 2000. As a writer and editor, he has worked for the Voyager Company, Time Inc. New Media, HarperCollins and Worth Publishers. He has a bachelor’s degree in Cinema Production from the University of Southern California, and a master’s degree from NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study. To find out what his latest project is, you can follow Tom on Google+.