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|website = {{URL|http://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/lasilla.html|ESO – La Silla}} |
|website = {{URL|http://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/lasilla.html|ESO – La Silla}} |
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|telescope1_name = New Technology<br |
|telescope1_name = New Technology<br>Telescope |
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|telescope1_type = 3.5 m reflector |
|telescope1_type = 3.5 m reflector |
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|telescope2_name = ESO 3.6-metre |
|telescope2_name = ESO 3.6-metre |
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|telescope3_name = MPG/ESO 2.2-metre |
|telescope3_name = MPG/ESO 2.2-metre |
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|telescope3_type = 2.2-m reflector |
|telescope3_type = 2.2-m reflector |
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|telescope4_name = Danish National<br |
|telescope4_name = Danish National<br>Telescope |
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|telescope4_type = 1.5 m reflector |
|telescope4_type = 1.5 m reflector |
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|telescope5_name = Euler Telescope |
|telescope5_name = Euler Telescope |
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|telescope5_type = 1.2 m reflector |
|telescope5_type = 1.2 m reflector |
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|telescope6_name = ESO 1-metre<br |
|telescope6_name = ESO 1-metre<br>Schmidt |
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|telescope6_type = 1.0 m reflector |
|telescope6_type = 1.0 m reflector |
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|telescope7_name = REM Telescope |
|telescope7_name = REM Telescope |
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|telescope9_type = 0.3 m reflector |
|telescope9_type = 0.3 m reflector |
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'''La Silla Observatory''' is an [[astronomy|astronomical]] [[observatory]] in [[Chile]] with three telescopes built and operated by the [[European Southern Observatory]] (ESO). Several telescopes are located at the site and are partly maintained by ESO. The observatory is one of the largest in the Southern Hemisphere and was the first in Chile to be used by ESO.<ref>{{cite book |title=ESO's Early History |author=Adriaan Blaauw |publisher=ESO |date=1991}}</ref> |
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'''La Silla Observatory''' is an [[astronomy|astronomical]] [[observatory]] in [[Chile]] with three telescopes built and operated by the [[European Southern Observatory]] (ESO). Several telescopes are located at the site and are partly maintained by ESO. The observatory is one of the largest in the Southern Hemisphere and was the first in Chile to be used by ESO.<ref>{{cite book |title=ESO's Early History |author=Adriaan Blaauw |publisher=ESO |date=1991}}</ref> |
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The La Silla telescopes and instruments are located 150 km northeast of [[La Serena, Chile|La Serena]] at the outskirts of the Chilean [[Atacama Desert]], one of the driest and remotest areas of the world. Like other observatories in this geographical area, La Silla is located far from sources of light pollution and, like the [[Paranal Observatory]], home to the [[Very Large Telescope]], it has one of the darkest night skies on the Earth. |
The La Silla telescopes and instruments are located 150 km northeast of [[La Serena, Chile|La Serena]] at the outskirts of the Chilean [[Atacama Desert]], one of the driest and remotest areas of the world. Like other observatories in this geographical area, La Silla is located far from sources of light pollution and, like the [[Paranal Observatory]], home to the [[Very Large Telescope]], it has one of the darkest night skies on the Earth. |
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==History== |
== History == |
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[[File:A Window to the Past — La Silla's transformation through time.jpg|thumb|La Silla |
[[File:A Window to the Past — La Silla's transformation through time.jpg|thumb|left|upright|La Silla under construction in June 1968.<ref>{{cite news|title=A Window to the Past — La Silla’s transformation through time |url=http://www.eso.org/public/images/comparisons/potw1210a/ |accessdate=9 March 2012 |newspaper=ESO Picture of the Week}}</ref>]] |
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Following the decision in 1963 to approve Chile as the site for the ESO observatory,<ref>{{cite book |title=ESO's Early History |author=Adriaan Blaauw |publisher=ESO |date=1991 |chapter = 3}}</ref> scouting parties were sent to various locations to assess their suitability. |
Following the decision in 1963 to approve Chile as the site for the ESO observatory,<ref>{{cite book |title=ESO's Early History |author=Adriaan Blaauw |publisher=ESO |date=1991 |chapter = 3}}</ref> scouting parties were sent to various locations to assess their suitability. |
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The site that was decided upon was La Silla in the southern part of the [[Atacama desert]], 600 km north of Santiago de Chile and at an altitude of 2400 metres. Besides being government property, it had the added benefits of being in a dry, flat and easily accessible area, yet isolated and remote from any artificial light and dust sources. Originally named the Cinchado, it was renamed La Silla (the saddle in Spanish) after its saddle-like shape.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eso.org/sci/facilities/lasilla/site/aboutls.html | title = About La Silla | accessdate = 2011-05-02}}</ref> |
The site that was decided upon was La Silla in the southern part of the [[Atacama desert]], 600 km north of Santiago de Chile and at an altitude of 2400 metres. Besides being government property, it had the added benefits of being in a dry, flat and easily accessible area, yet isolated and remote from any artificial light and dust sources. Originally named the Cinchado, it was renamed La Silla (the saddle in Spanish) after its saddle-like shape.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eso.org/sci/facilities/lasilla/site/aboutls.html | title = About La Silla | accessdate = 2011-05-02}}</ref> On October 30, 1964, the contracts were signed and an area of 245 square miles was purchased the following year. During 1965, temporary facilities were erected with living quarters, a workshop and storage area. The dedication ceremony of the road to the top took place in March 1966, two months after its completion. |
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[[File:La Silla Observatory Inauguration .jpg|thumb|[[Eduardo Frei Montalva]] inaugurates La Silla in 1969.]] |
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On October 30, 1964, the contracts were signed and an area of 245 square miles was purchased the following year. During 1965, temporary facilities were erected with living quarters, a workshop and storage area. |
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The dedication ceremony of the road to the top took place in March 1966, two months after its completion. |
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On 25 March 1969, the ESO site at La Silla was finally formally inaugurated by President [[Eduardo Frei Montalva]]. With a permanent base of dormitories, workshops, hotels and several functioning telescopes, the observatory was fully operational. The 1 m and 1.5 m telescopes had been erected in the late 1960s, and were joined in 1968 by the Gran Prismo Objectif telescope that had been previously been used in South Africa.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eso.org/sci/facilities/lasilla/site/aboutls.html | |
On 25 March 1969, the ESO site at La Silla was finally formally inaugurated by President [[Eduardo Frei Montalva]]. With a permanent base of dormitories, workshops, hotels and several functioning telescopes, the observatory was fully operational. The 1 m and 1.5 m telescopes had been erected in the late 1960s, and were joined in 1968 by the Gran Prismo Objectif telescope that had been previously been used in South Africa.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eso.org/sci/facilities/lasilla/site/aboutls.html |title=About La Silla |accessdate=2011-04-29}}</ref> |
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By 1976, the largest telescope planned, the 3.6 m, started operations.<ref>{{cite book |title=Europe's Quest for the Universe |author=Lodewijk Woltjer |publisher=EDP Sciences |date=2006 |page=27}}</ref> It was subsequently to have a 1.4m CAT (Coudé Auxiliary Telescope) attached. |
By 1976, the largest telescope planned, the 3.6 m, started operations.<ref>{{cite book |title=Europe's Quest for the Universe |author=Lodewijk Woltjer |publisher=EDP Sciences |date=2006 |page=27}}</ref> It was subsequently to have a 1.4m CAT (Coudé Auxiliary Telescope) attached. In 1984, the 2.2m telescope began operations, while in March 1989, the 3.5 m New Technology Telescope (NTT) saw "first light".<ref>{{cite book |title=Europe's Quest for the Universe |author=Lodewijk Woltjer |publisher=EDP Sciences |date=2006|page=35}}</ref> The program reaches its apex with the installation of the SEST in 1987 (Swedish ESO Submillimetre Telescope), the only large submillimetre telescope in the southern hemisphere, which was a combined project between ESO and the Swedish Natural Science Research Council. During the end of the century some of the original telescopes were closed-the 1m Schmidt closed in 1998 and the 1.5m in 2002, whilst new equipment owned by various foreign observatories was introduced. A 1m telescope owned by Marseille Observatory opened in 1998, followed by a 1.2m telescope from Geneva Observatory in 2000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O80-LaSillaObservatory.html |title=La Silla Observatory, A Dictionary of Astronomy |accessdate=2011-04-29}}</ref> |
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== Telescopes == |
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In 1984, the 2.2m telescope began operations, while in March 1989, the 3.5 m New Technology Telescope (NTT) saw "first light".<ref>{{cite book |title=Europe's Quest for the Universe |author=Lodewijk Woltjer |publisher=EDP Sciences |date=2006|page=35}}</ref> |
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ESO operates three major optical and near infrared telescopes at the La Silla site:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr.html | title = Telescopes and Instrumentation | accessdate = 2011-05-02}}</ref> the New Technology Telescope (NTT), the 3.6-m ESO Telescope, and the 2.2-m Max-Planck-ESO Telescope. In addition La Silla hosts several other national and project telescopes such as the 1.54-m Danish Telescope, the 1.2-m Leonhard Euler Telescope, the Rapid Eye Mount telescope, TRAPPIST and TAROT. These telescopes are not operated by ESO and hence do not fall under the responsibility of La Silla Science Operations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eso.org/sci/facilities/lasilla/telescopes/index.html |title=La Silla Telescopes Overview |accessdate=2011-05-02}}</ref> |
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The program reaches its apex with the installation of the SEST in 1987 (Swedish ESO Submillimetre Telescope), the only large submillimetre telescope in the southern hemisphere, which was a combined project between ESO and the Swedish Natural Science Research Council. |
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=== 3.6 m ESO Telescope === |
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During the end of the century some of the original telescopes were closed-the 1m Schmidt closed in 1998 and the 1.5m in 2002, whilst new equipment owned by various foreign observatories was introduced. A 1m telescope owned by Marseille Observatory opened in 1998, followed by a 1.2m telescope from Geneva Observatory in 2000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O80-LaSillaObservatory.html | title = La Silla Observatory, A Dictionary of Astronomy | accessdate = 2011-04-29}}</ref> |
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{{Main|ESO 3.6 Telescope}} |
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[[File:3.6-m Telescope at La Silla.jpg|thumb|upright|[[ESO 3.6 m Telescope]]]] |
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This 3.6 m Cassegrain telescope started operations in 1976<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/lasilla/36.html |title=Telescopes and Instrumentation, the ESO 3.6-metre Telescope |accessdate=2011-05-02 |type=Table on the right of the page}}</ref> and has been constantly upgraded since, including the installation of a new secondary mirror that has kept the telescope in its place as one of the most efficient and productive engines of astronomical research. The telescope hosts [[HARPS]], the High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher, the world’s foremost exoplanet hunter. HARPS is a spectrograph with unrivalled precision and is the most successful finder of low-mass exoplanets to date.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/lasilla/36.html |title=Telescopes and Instrumentation, the ESO 3.6-metre Telescope |accessdate=2011-05-02}}</ref> Since April 2008, HARPS is the only instrument available at the 3.6 m telescope.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eso.org/sci/facilities/lasilla/telescopes/3p6/overview/index.html#iq |title=The ESO 3.6m Telescope, Introduction |accessdate=2011-05-02}}</ref> |
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==Telescopes== |
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[[File:A 360 degree panorama of a unique cloudscape over La Silla.jpg|730px|thumbnail|left|A 360 degree panorama of the observatory]] |
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=== New Technology Telescope === |
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ESO operates three major optical and near infrared telescopes at the La Silla site:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr.html | title = Telescopes and Instrumentation | accessdate = 2011-05-02}}</ref> the New Technology Telescope (NTT), the 3.6-m ESO Telescope, and the 2.2-m Max-Planck-ESO Telescope. |
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{{Main|New Technology Telescope}} |
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[[File:Observatorio la silla ntt.JPG|thumb|left|The [[New Technology Telescope|NTT telescope]]]] |
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The ESO New Technology Telescope (NTT) is an Alt-Az, 3.58m Richey-Chretien telescope which pioneered the use of [[active optics]]. The telescope and its enclosure had a revolutionary design for optimal image quality.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eso.org/sci/facilities/lasilla/telescopes/ntt/index.html |title=The ESO New Technology Telescope |accessdate=2011-05-02}}</ref> NTT saw first light in March 1989. The telescope chamber is ventilated by a system of flaps which optimize the air flow across the NTT minimizing the dome and mirror [[Astronomical seeing|seeing]]. To prevent heat input to the building, all motors in the telescope are water cooled and all the electronics boxes are insulated and cooled. The primary mirror of the NTT is actively controlled to preserve its figure at all telescope positions. The secondary mirror position is also actively controlled in three directions. The optimized airflow, the thermal controls, and the active optics give the excellent image quality of the NTT. Note that the NTT has active instead of adaptive optics: it corrects the defects and deformation of the telescope and mirror, but does not correct the turbulence; it ensures that the optics is always in perfect shape. Together with the thermal control, it allows the NTT to reach the ambient seeing, but it does not improve it.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eso.org/sci/facilities/lasilla/telescopes/ntt/index.html |title=The ESO New Technology Telescope, Overview |accessdate=2011-05-02}}</ref> |
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In addition La Silla hosts several other national and project telescopes: the 1.54-m Danish Telescope, the 1.2-m [[Leonhard Euler Telescope]], the [[Rapid Eye Mount telescope]], [[TRAPPIST]] and TAROT. These telescopes are not operated by ESO and hence do not fall under the responsibility of La Silla Science Operations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eso.org/sci/facilities/lasilla/telescopes/index.html | title = La Silla Telescopes Overview | accessdate = 2011-05-02}}</ref> |
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=== 2.2 m MPG/ESO Telescope === |
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{{main|MPG/ESO telescope}} |
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{{Main|New Technology Telescope}} |
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[[File:Esopia00046teles.jpg|thumb|upright|[[MPG/ESO telescope]]]] |
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The 2.2-metre Telescope has been in operation at La Silla since early 1984 and is on indefinite loan to ESO from the Max Planck Society (Max Planck Gesellschaft or MPG in German). Telescope time is shared between MPG and ESO observing programmes, while the operation and maintenance of the telescope are ESO’s responsibility. The telescope hosts three instruments: the 67-million pixel Wide Field Imager with a field of view as large as the full Moon, which has taken many amazing images of celestial objects; GROND, the Gamma-Ray Burst Optical/Near-Infrared Detector, which chases the afterglows of the most powerful explosions in the Universe, known as gamma-ray bursts; and the high-resolution spectrograph, FEROS, used to make detailed studies of stars.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/lasilla/mpg22.html |title=Telescopes and Instrumentation, MPG/ESO 2.2-metre Telescope |accessdate=2011-05-02}}</ref> |
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[[File:Las-set-01-02.gif|thumb|right|View of the NTT in front of the smaller telescopes, from the 3.6m.]] |
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The ESO New Technology Telescope (NTT) is an Alt-Az, 3.58m Richey-Chretien telescope which pioneered the use of [[active optics]]. The telescope and its enclosure had a revolutionary design for optimal image quality.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eso.org/sci/facilities/lasilla/telescopes/ntt/index.html | title = The ESO New Technology Telescope | accessdate = 2011-05-02}}</ref> NTT saw first light in March 1989. |
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=== Other telescopes === |
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The telescope chamber is ventilated by a system of flaps which optimize the air flow across the NTT minimizing the dome and mirror [[Astronomical seeing|seeing]]. To prevent heat input to the building, all motors in the telescope are water cooled and all the electronics boxes are insulated and cooled. |
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La Silla also hosts several national and project telescopes not operated by ESO. Among them are the Swiss Euler Telescope, the Danish National Telescope and the REM, TRAPPIST and TAROT telescopes.<ref name="National and Project Telescopes">{{cite web |url=http://www.eso.org/sci/facilities/lasilla/telescopes/national.html |title=National and Project Telescopes |accessdate=2011-04-29}}</ref> |
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The primary mirror of the NTT is actively controlled to preserve its figure at all telescope positions. The secondary mirror position is also actively controlled in three directions. The optimized airflow, the thermal controls, and the active optics give the excellent image quality of the NTT. Note that the NTT has active instead of adaptive optics: it corrects the defects and deformation of the telescope and mirror, but does not correct the turbulence; it ensures that the optics is always in perfect shape. Together with the thermal control, it allows the NTT to reach the ambient seeing, but it does not improve it.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eso.org/sci/facilities/lasilla/telescopes/ntt/index.html | title = The ESO New Technology Telescope, Overview | accessdate = 2011-05-02}}</ref> |
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==== Euler Telescope ==== |
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{{Main|ESO 3.6 Telescope}} |
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: The [[Euler Telescope]] is a 1.2-metre telescope built and operated by the [[Geneva Observatory]] in Switzerland. It is used to conduct high-precision radial velocity measurements primarily used in the search for large extrasolar planets in the southern celestial hemisphere. Its first discovery was a planet orbiting [[Gliese 86]].<ref>{{cite news |date=24 November 1998 |url=http://www.eso.org/public/news/eso9855/ |title=Extrasolar Planet in Double Star System Discovered from La Silla |publisher=ESO |accessdate=2011-04-29}}</ref> Other observing programmes focus on [[variable star]]s, [[asteroseismology]], gamma-ray bursts, monitoring [[Active galactic nucleus|active galactic nuclei]] (AGN) and [[gravitational lens]]es.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://obswww.unige.ch/exoplanets/coralie.html |title=Southern Sky extrasolar Planet search Programme |accessdate=2011-10-05}}</ref> |
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This 3.6 m Cassegrain telescope started operations in 1976<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/lasilla/36.html | title = Telescopes and Instrumentation, the ESO 3.6-metre Telescope | accessdate = 2011-05-02 |type=Table on the right of the page}}</ref> and has been constantly upgraded since, including the installation of a new secondary mirror that has kept the telescope in its place as one of the most efficient and productive engines of astronomical research. |
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==== The Great Dane ==== |
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The telescope hosts [[HARPS]], the High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher, the world’s foremost exoplanet hunter. HARPS is a spectrograph with unrivalled precision and is the most successful finder of low-mass exoplanets to date.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/lasilla/36.html | title = Telescopes and Instrumentation, the ESO 3.6-metre Telescope | accessdate = 2011-05-02}}</ref> Since April 2008, HARPS is the only instrument available at the 3.6 m telescope.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eso.org/sci/facilities/lasilla/telescopes/3p6/overview/index.html#iq | title = The ESO 3.6m Telescope, Introduction | accessdate = 2011-05-02}}</ref> |
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: The 1.54-metre ''Danish National Telescope'' was built by [[Sir Howard Grubb, Parsons and Co|Grubb-Parsons]] and has been in use at La Silla since 1979. The telescope has an [[Off-axis optical system|off-axis]] mount, and the optics are a Ritchey-Chrétien design. Because of the telescope's mount and limited space inside the dome, it has significant pointing restrictions.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eso.org/sci/facilities/lasilla/telescopes/d1p5/ |title=The Danish Telescope at La Silla |accessdate=2011-04-29}}</ref> |
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===2.2 m MPG/ESO Telescope=== |
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[[File:The globular cluster NGC 6388 observed by the European Southern Observatory.jpg|thumb|This image from the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile shows NGC 6388.<ref>{{cite news|title=The globular cluster NGC 6388 observed by the European Southern Observatory|url=http://www.eso.org/public/images/eso1252a/|accessdate=13 February 2013|newspaper=ESO Press Release}}</ref>]] |
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{{main|MPG/ESO telescope}} |
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The 2.2-metre Telescope has been in operation at La Silla since early 1984 and is on indefinite loan to ESO from the Max Planck Society (Max Planck Gesellschaft or MPG in German). Telescope time is shared between MPG and ESO observing programmes, while the operation and maintenance of the telescope are ESO’s responsibility. |
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==== REM telescope ==== |
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The telescope hosts three instruments: the 67-million pixel Wide Field Imager with a field of view as large as the full Moon, which has taken many amazing images of celestial objects; GROND, the Gamma-Ray Burst Optical/Near-Infrared Detector, which chases the afterglows of the most powerful explosions in the Universe, known as gamma-ray bursts; and the high-resolution spectrograph, FEROS, used to make detailed studies of stars.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/lasilla/mpg22.html | title = Telescopes and Instrumentation, MPG/ESO 2.2-metre Telescope |
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| accessdate = 2011-05-02}}</ref> |
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: The [[Rapid Eye Mount telescope]] (REM) is a small rapid-reaction automatic telescope with a primary {{convert|60|cm|in|adj=on}} mirror. The telescope, in an [[altazimuth mount]], began operation in October 2002. The primary purpose of the telescope is to follow the afterglow of the GRBs detected by the [[Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Mission]] satellite.<ref name="National and Project Telescopes" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rem.inaf.it/ |title=Rapid Eye Mount |accessdate=2011-04-29}}</ref> |
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==== TAROT ==== |
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: The Quick-action telescope for transient objects, [[TAROT-South robotic observatory|TAROT]] ({{lang-fr|Télescope à Action Rapide pour les Objets Transitoires}}) is a very fast-moving optical robotic telescope able to observe a gamma-ray burst from its beginning. Satellites detecting GRBs send signals to TAROT, which can provide a [[Minute of arc#Astronomy|sub-arc second]] position to the astronomical community. Data from the TAROT telescope is also useful in studying the evolution of GRBs, the physics of a [[Meteoroid#Fireball|fireball]] and its surrounding material.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tarot.obs-hp.fr/tarot/ |title=TAROT website |accessdate=2011-05-04}}</ref> It is operated from the [[Haute-Provence Observatory]] in France. |
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==== TRAPPIST ==== |
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: The Belgian [[TRAPPIST]], the ''Transiting Planets and Planetesimals Small Telescope'', is a joint venture between the [[University of Liège]] and Geneva Observatory. The 0.60-metre telescope is specialized in [[comets]], exoplanets, and was one of the few telescopes that observed a [[stellar occultation]] of the dwarf planet [[Eris (dwarf planet)|Eris]], revealing that it may be smaller than [[Pluto]].<ref name=beatty>{{cite web |url=http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19697-former-tenth-planet-may-be-smaller-than-pluto.html |author=Kelly Beatty |title=Former 'tenth planet' may be smaller than Pluto |work=Newscientist |date=8 November 2010}}</ref> |
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{{multiple image |
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|direction = horizontal |
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|align = center |
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|width1 = 225 |
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|width2 = 100 |
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|width3 = 108 |
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|width4 = 227 |
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|image1 = REMTelescopeDaylight.jpg |
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|image2 = The TRAPPIST telescope at La Silla.jpg |
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|image3 = The Great Dane.jpg |
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|image4 = LaSillaByNight2.jpg |
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|footer= ''Left'': The [[Rapid Eye Mount telescope]] (REM) and its instruments in daylight.<br>''Middle'': [[TRAPPIST]] enclosure in winter time and the Dome the of the "Great Dane" at night.<br>''Right'': [[Euler Telescope]] and the ESO 3.6-m Telescope (background) have discovered many [[exoplanet]]s. |
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}} |
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===Former telescopes=== |
=== Former telescopes === |
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The following telescopes have now been decommissioned:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/lasilla.html | title = La Silla | accessdate = 2011-05-02}}</ref> |
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The following telescopes have now been decommissioned:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/lasilla.html |title=La Silla |work=ESO |accessdate=2011-05-02}}</ref> |
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*ESO 1.52-metre telescope |
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{{Div col|colwidth=30em}} |
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*ESO 1-metre telescope |
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* Bochum 0.61-metre Telescope (National telescope) |
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*ESO 0.5-metre telescope (now at the Observatorio UC in Santiago, Chile) |
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* Coudé Auxiliary Telescope (CAT), 1.4-metre |
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* Danish 0.5-metre Telescope (National telescope) |
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* Dutch 0.9-metre Telescope (National telescope) |
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*Grand Prism Objectif (GPO) Telescope |
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* Grand Prism Objectif (GPO) Telescope |
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* ESO 0.5-metre telescope (now at the Observatorio UC in Santiago, Chile) |
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*Swiss T70 Telescope |
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* ESO 1-metre telescope |
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* |
* ESO 1.52-metre telescope |
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*Marseille 0.4-metre Telescope (National telescope) |
* Marly 1-metre Telescope |
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* Marseille 0.4-metre Telescope (National telescope) |
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* [[Swedish-ESO Submillimetre Telescope]] (SEST), 15-metre |
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* Swiss T70 Telescope (now home of [[TRAPPIST]]) |
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{{Div col end}} |
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==Scientific discoveries== |
==Scientific discoveries== |
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[[File:Cloud City in a Galaxy Far, Far Away.jpg|thumb|La Silla Observatory blanketed in snow as the Sun sets.<ref>{{cite web|title=Cloud City in a Galaxy Far, Far Away...|url=http://www.eso.org/public/images/potw1510a/|accessdate=18 June 2015}}</ref>]] |
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With about 300 refereed publications attributable to the work of the observatory per year, La Silla remains at the forefront of astronomy. La Silla has led to an large number of scientific discoveries, including several "firsts". The HARPS spectrograph is the undisputed champion at finding low-mass extrasolar planets. It detected the system around [[Gliese 581]], which contains what may be the first known rocky planet in a habitable zone, outside the Solar System.<ref>{{cite news|date=25 April 2007|url=http://www.eso.org/public/news/eso0722/ | publisher = ESO | title = Astronomers Find First Earth-like Planet in Habitable Zone | accessdate = 2011-04-28}}</ref> Several telescopes at La Silla played a crucial role in linking [[gamma-ray burst]]s — the most energetic explosions in the Universe since the Big Bang — with the explosions of massive stars. Since 1987, the ESO La Silla Observatory has also played an important role in the study and follow-up of the nearest recent supernova, [[SN 1987A]]. |
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With about 300 refereed publications attributable to the work of the observatory per year, La Silla remains at the forefront of astronomy. La Silla has led to an large number of scientific discoveries, including several "firsts". The HARPS spectrograph is the undisputed champion at finding low-mass extrasolar planets. It detected the system around [[Gliese 581]], which contains what may be the first known rocky planet in a habitable zone, outside the Solar System.<ref>{{cite news |date=25 April 2007 |url=http://www.eso.org/public/news/eso0722/ |publisher=ESO |title=Astronomers Find First Earth-like Planet in Habitable Zone |accessdate=2011-04-28}}</ref> Several telescopes at La Silla played a crucial role in linking [[gamma-ray burst]]s — the most energetic explosions in the Universe since the Big Bang — with the explosions of massive stars. Since 1987, the ESO La Silla Observatory has also played an important role in the study and follow-up of the nearest recent supernova, [[SN 1987A]]. |
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On February 2, 2011, astronomers using the [http://www.eso.org/lasilla/instruments/wfi/index.html Wide Field Imager] on the 2.2m telescope discovered an unusual pure disk galaxy christened [[NGC 3621]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.space.com/10743-spiral-galaxy-pancake-photo.html | date=2 February 2011| title = Oddball Spiral Galaxy Is Flat as a Pancake |publisher=Space.com | accessdate = 2011-04-29}}</ref> |
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On February 2, 2011, astronomers using the Wide Field Imager<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.eso.org/sci/facilities/lasilla/instruments/wfi.html |title=WFI - Wide Field Imager |work=ESO |date=19 May 2014}}</ref> on the 2.2m telescope discovered an unusual pure disk galaxy christened [[NGC 3621]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.space.com/10743-spiral-galaxy-pancake-photo.html |date=2 February 2011 |title=Oddball Spiral Galaxy Is Flat as a Pancake |publisher=Space.com |accessdate=2011-04-29}}</ref> |
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==Gallery== |
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<gallery widths="175"> |
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File:Morning Light Over La Silla.jpg|Morning Light Over La Silla.<ref>{{cite web|title=Morning Light Over La Silla|url=http://www.eso.org/public/images/potw1437a/|website=www.eso.org|publisher=European Southern Observatory|accessdate=16 September 2014}}</ref> |
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File:LaSillaByNight2.jpg|The [[Leonhard Euler Telescope]] (foreground) and the [[ESO 3.6 m Telescope]] |
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File:La Silla Observatory Inauguration .jpg|[[Eduardo Frei Montalva]] inaugurates La Silla in 1969 |
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File:Telescope Domes Clustered at La Silla.jpg|Telescope Domes clustered at La Silla |
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File:Observatoire de LaSilla depuis la route de Las Campanas.jpg|La Silla Observatory at sunset |
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File:La Silla NTT.jpg|The [[New Technology Telescope]] operating since 1989 at La Silla |
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File:Observatorio la silla 2.JPG|La Silla Observatory during daytime |
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File:La Silla from 3,6m.jpg|La Silla Observatory seen from 3.6m telescope (located on highest peak). |
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File:Starry La Silla Observatory.jpg|The stars rotate around the southern celestial pole during a night at ESO’s La Silla Observatory. |
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File:Three Planets Dance Over La Silla.jpg|[[Jupiter]] (top), [[Venus]] (left), and [[Mercury]] (right) nearly align themselves in the sky. |
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File:Timelapse of Unique Cloudscape over La Silla.ogg|A timelapse of a unique cloudscape over La Silla at sunset. |
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File:Stars Rise over La Silla.ogg|Timelapse: stars rise over La Silla and its vast number of telescopes spring into action (in ultra HD). |
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File:Time-lapse Over La Silla.webm|Timelapse at La Silla: star trails form and bend towards the horizon. |
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</gallery> |
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== Timelapse videos == |
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{{multiple image |
{{multiple image |
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| image1 = Timelapse of Unique Cloudscape over La Silla.ogg |
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| caption1 = A timelapse of a unique cloudscape over La Silla at sunset. |
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| image2 = Stars Rise over La Silla.ogg |
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| width2 = 300 |
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| alt2 = |
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| caption2 = Timelapse: stars rise over La Silla and its vast number of telescopes spring into action (in ultra HD) |
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| image3 = Time-lapse Over La Silla.webm |
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| width3 = 300 |
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| alt3 = |
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| caption3 = Timelapse at La Silla: star trails form and bend towards the horizon. |
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}} |
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{{multiple image |
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| align = center |
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| image1 = La Silla Timelapse General view.ogv |
| image1 = La Silla Timelapse General view.ogv |
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{{multiple image |
{{multiple image |
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| image1 = La Silla Time-lapse MPGESO 2.2-metre Telescope.ogv |
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== Gallery == |
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{{-}} |
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<gallery class="center" widths="175"> |
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==See also== |
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File:Morning Light Over La Silla.jpg|Morning Light Over La Silla.<ref>{{cite web|title=Morning Light Over La Silla|url=http://www.eso.org/public/images/potw1437a/|website=www.eso.org|publisher=European Southern Observatory|accessdate=16 September 2014}}</ref> |
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* [[Llano de Chajnantor Observatory]] |
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File:Telescope Domes Clustered at La Silla.jpg|Telescope Domes clustered at La Silla |
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* [[Paranal Observatory]] |
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File:Observatoire de LaSilla depuis la route de Las Campanas.jpg|La Silla Observatory at sunset |
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File:Cloud City in a Galaxy Far, Far Away.jpg|La Silla Observatory blanketed in snow as the Sun sets.<ref>{{cite web|title=Cloud City in a Galaxy Far, Far Away...|url=http://www.eso.org/public/images/potw1510a/|accessdate=18 June 2015}}</ref> |
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File:La Silla NTT.jpg|The [[New Technology Telescope]] operating since 1989 at La Silla |
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File:Las-set-01-02.gif|La Sillia with the NTT in front of the smaller telescopes (viewd from the ESO 3.6 m) |
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File:Observatorio la silla 2.JPG|La Silla Observatory during daytime |
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File:La Silla from 3,6m.jpg|La Silla Observatory seen from 3.6m telescope (located on highest peak). |
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File:Starry La Silla Observatory.jpg|The stars rotate around the southern celestial pole during a night at ESO’s La Silla Observatory. |
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File:Three Planets Dance Over La Silla.jpg|[[Jupiter]] (top), [[Venus]] (left), and [[Mercury]] (right) nearly align themselves in the sky. |
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</gallery> |
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<gallery class="center" mode="packed" heights="135px"> |
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File:A 360 degree panorama of a unique cloudscape over La Silla.jpg |
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</gallery> |
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== See also == |
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{{Div col|colwidth=26em}} |
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* [[13908 Wölbern]] |
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* [[Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory]] |
* [[Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory]] |
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* [[Very Large Telescope]] |
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* [[European Extremely Large Telescope]] |
* [[European Extremely Large Telescope]] |
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* [[13908 Wölbern]] |
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* [[HIP 13044 b]] |
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* [[European Southern Observatory]] |
* [[European Southern Observatory]] |
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* [[HIP 13044 b]] |
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* [[Llano de Chajnantor Observatory]] |
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* [[Paranal Observatory]] |
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* [[Very Large Telescope]] |
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{{Div col end}} |
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==References== |
== References == |
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{{reflist|30em}} |
{{reflist|30em}} |
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==External links== |
== External links == |
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{{Commons category|La Silla Observatory}} |
{{Commons category|La Silla Observatory}} |
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* [http://www.eso.org/sci/facilities/lpo/ ESO - La Silla Paranal Observatory] |
* [http://www.eso.org/sci/facilities/lpo/ ESO - La Silla Paranal Observatory] |
Revision as of 14:37, 17 August 2015
Alternative names | La Silla 1.52m | ||||||||||||||||||
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Organization | European Southern Observatory | ||||||||||||||||||
Observatory code | 809 | ||||||||||||||||||
Location | Coquimbo Region, Chile | ||||||||||||||||||
Coordinates | 29°15.67′S 70°43.88′W / 29.26117°S 70.73133°W | ||||||||||||||||||
Altitude | 2,400 metres (7,900 ft) | ||||||||||||||||||
Established | 1964 | ||||||||||||||||||
Website | ESO – La Silla | ||||||||||||||||||
Telescopes | |||||||||||||||||||
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Related media on Commons | |||||||||||||||||||
La Silla Observatory is an astronomical observatory in Chile with three telescopes built and operated by the European Southern Observatory (ESO). Several telescopes are located at the site and are partly maintained by ESO. The observatory is one of the largest in the Southern Hemisphere and was the first in Chile to be used by ESO.[1]
The La Silla telescopes and instruments are located 150 km northeast of La Serena at the outskirts of the Chilean Atacama Desert, one of the driest and remotest areas of the world. Like other observatories in this geographical area, La Silla is located far from sources of light pollution and, like the Paranal Observatory, home to the Very Large Telescope, it has one of the darkest night skies on the Earth.
History
Following the decision in 1963 to approve Chile as the site for the ESO observatory,[3] scouting parties were sent to various locations to assess their suitability. The site that was decided upon was La Silla in the southern part of the Atacama desert, 600 km north of Santiago de Chile and at an altitude of 2400 metres. Besides being government property, it had the added benefits of being in a dry, flat and easily accessible area, yet isolated and remote from any artificial light and dust sources. Originally named the Cinchado, it was renamed La Silla (the saddle in Spanish) after its saddle-like shape.[4] On October 30, 1964, the contracts were signed and an area of 245 square miles was purchased the following year. During 1965, temporary facilities were erected with living quarters, a workshop and storage area. The dedication ceremony of the road to the top took place in March 1966, two months after its completion.
On 25 March 1969, the ESO site at La Silla was finally formally inaugurated by President Eduardo Frei Montalva. With a permanent base of dormitories, workshops, hotels and several functioning telescopes, the observatory was fully operational. The 1 m and 1.5 m telescopes had been erected in the late 1960s, and were joined in 1968 by the Gran Prismo Objectif telescope that had been previously been used in South Africa.[5]
By 1976, the largest telescope planned, the 3.6 m, started operations.[6] It was subsequently to have a 1.4m CAT (Coudé Auxiliary Telescope) attached. In 1984, the 2.2m telescope began operations, while in March 1989, the 3.5 m New Technology Telescope (NTT) saw "first light".[7] The program reaches its apex with the installation of the SEST in 1987 (Swedish ESO Submillimetre Telescope), the only large submillimetre telescope in the southern hemisphere, which was a combined project between ESO and the Swedish Natural Science Research Council. During the end of the century some of the original telescopes were closed-the 1m Schmidt closed in 1998 and the 1.5m in 2002, whilst new equipment owned by various foreign observatories was introduced. A 1m telescope owned by Marseille Observatory opened in 1998, followed by a 1.2m telescope from Geneva Observatory in 2000.[8]
Telescopes
ESO operates three major optical and near infrared telescopes at the La Silla site:[9] the New Technology Telescope (NTT), the 3.6-m ESO Telescope, and the 2.2-m Max-Planck-ESO Telescope. In addition La Silla hosts several other national and project telescopes such as the 1.54-m Danish Telescope, the 1.2-m Leonhard Euler Telescope, the Rapid Eye Mount telescope, TRAPPIST and TAROT. These telescopes are not operated by ESO and hence do not fall under the responsibility of La Silla Science Operations.[10]
3.6 m ESO Telescope
This 3.6 m Cassegrain telescope started operations in 1976[11] and has been constantly upgraded since, including the installation of a new secondary mirror that has kept the telescope in its place as one of the most efficient and productive engines of astronomical research. The telescope hosts HARPS, the High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher, the world’s foremost exoplanet hunter. HARPS is a spectrograph with unrivalled precision and is the most successful finder of low-mass exoplanets to date.[12] Since April 2008, HARPS is the only instrument available at the 3.6 m telescope.[13]
New Technology Telescope
The ESO New Technology Telescope (NTT) is an Alt-Az, 3.58m Richey-Chretien telescope which pioneered the use of active optics. The telescope and its enclosure had a revolutionary design for optimal image quality.[14] NTT saw first light in March 1989. The telescope chamber is ventilated by a system of flaps which optimize the air flow across the NTT minimizing the dome and mirror seeing. To prevent heat input to the building, all motors in the telescope are water cooled and all the electronics boxes are insulated and cooled. The primary mirror of the NTT is actively controlled to preserve its figure at all telescope positions. The secondary mirror position is also actively controlled in three directions. The optimized airflow, the thermal controls, and the active optics give the excellent image quality of the NTT. Note that the NTT has active instead of adaptive optics: it corrects the defects and deformation of the telescope and mirror, but does not correct the turbulence; it ensures that the optics is always in perfect shape. Together with the thermal control, it allows the NTT to reach the ambient seeing, but it does not improve it.[15]
2.2 m MPG/ESO Telescope
The 2.2-metre Telescope has been in operation at La Silla since early 1984 and is on indefinite loan to ESO from the Max Planck Society (Max Planck Gesellschaft or MPG in German). Telescope time is shared between MPG and ESO observing programmes, while the operation and maintenance of the telescope are ESO’s responsibility. The telescope hosts three instruments: the 67-million pixel Wide Field Imager with a field of view as large as the full Moon, which has taken many amazing images of celestial objects; GROND, the Gamma-Ray Burst Optical/Near-Infrared Detector, which chases the afterglows of the most powerful explosions in the Universe, known as gamma-ray bursts; and the high-resolution spectrograph, FEROS, used to make detailed studies of stars.[16]
Other telescopes
La Silla also hosts several national and project telescopes not operated by ESO. Among them are the Swiss Euler Telescope, the Danish National Telescope and the REM, TRAPPIST and TAROT telescopes.[17]
Euler Telescope
- The Euler Telescope is a 1.2-metre telescope built and operated by the Geneva Observatory in Switzerland. It is used to conduct high-precision radial velocity measurements primarily used in the search for large extrasolar planets in the southern celestial hemisphere. Its first discovery was a planet orbiting Gliese 86.[18] Other observing programmes focus on variable stars, asteroseismology, gamma-ray bursts, monitoring active galactic nuclei (AGN) and gravitational lenses.[19]
The Great Dane
- The 1.54-metre Danish National Telescope was built by Grubb-Parsons and has been in use at La Silla since 1979. The telescope has an off-axis mount, and the optics are a Ritchey-Chrétien design. Because of the telescope's mount and limited space inside the dome, it has significant pointing restrictions.[20]
REM telescope
- The Rapid Eye Mount telescope (REM) is a small rapid-reaction automatic telescope with a primary 60-centimetre (24 in) mirror. The telescope, in an altazimuth mount, began operation in October 2002. The primary purpose of the telescope is to follow the afterglow of the GRBs detected by the Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Mission satellite.[17][21]
TAROT
- The Quick-action telescope for transient objects, TAROT (French: Télescope à Action Rapide pour les Objets Transitoires) is a very fast-moving optical robotic telescope able to observe a gamma-ray burst from its beginning. Satellites detecting GRBs send signals to TAROT, which can provide a sub-arc second position to the astronomical community. Data from the TAROT telescope is also useful in studying the evolution of GRBs, the physics of a fireball and its surrounding material.[22] It is operated from the Haute-Provence Observatory in France.
TRAPPIST
- The Belgian TRAPPIST, the Transiting Planets and Planetesimals Small Telescope, is a joint venture between the University of Liège and Geneva Observatory. The 0.60-metre telescope is specialized in comets, exoplanets, and was one of the few telescopes that observed a stellar occultation of the dwarf planet Eris, revealing that it may be smaller than Pluto.[23]
Former telescopes
The following telescopes have now been decommissioned:[24]
- Bochum 0.61-metre Telescope (National telescope)
- Coudé Auxiliary Telescope (CAT), 1.4-metre
- Danish 0.5-metre Telescope (National telescope)
- Dutch 0.9-metre Telescope (National telescope)
- Grand Prism Objectif (GPO) Telescope
- ESO 0.5-metre telescope (now at the Observatorio UC in Santiago, Chile)
- ESO 1-metre telescope
- ESO 1.52-metre telescope
- Marly 1-metre Telescope
- Marseille 0.4-metre Telescope (National telescope)
- Swedish-ESO Submillimetre Telescope (SEST), 15-metre
- Swiss T70 Telescope (now home of TRAPPIST)
Scientific discoveries
With about 300 refereed publications attributable to the work of the observatory per year, La Silla remains at the forefront of astronomy. La Silla has led to an large number of scientific discoveries, including several "firsts". The HARPS spectrograph is the undisputed champion at finding low-mass extrasolar planets. It detected the system around Gliese 581, which contains what may be the first known rocky planet in a habitable zone, outside the Solar System.[25] Several telescopes at La Silla played a crucial role in linking gamma-ray bursts — the most energetic explosions in the Universe since the Big Bang — with the explosions of massive stars. Since 1987, the ESO La Silla Observatory has also played an important role in the study and follow-up of the nearest recent supernova, SN 1987A.
On February 2, 2011, astronomers using the Wide Field Imager[26] on the 2.2m telescope discovered an unusual pure disk galaxy christened NGC 3621.[27]
Timelapse videos
Gallery
-
Morning Light Over La Silla.[28]
-
Telescope Domes clustered at La Silla
-
La Silla Observatory at sunset
-
La Silla Observatory blanketed in snow as the Sun sets.[29]
-
The New Technology Telescope operating since 1989 at La Silla
-
La Sillia with the NTT in front of the smaller telescopes (viewd from the ESO 3.6 m)
-
La Silla Observatory during daytime
-
La Silla Observatory seen from 3.6m telescope (located on highest peak).
-
The stars rotate around the southern celestial pole during a night at ESO’s La Silla Observatory.
See also
References
- ^ Adriaan Blaauw (1991). ESO's Early History. ESO.
- ^ "A Window to the Past — La Silla's transformation through time". ESO Picture of the Week. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
- ^ Adriaan Blaauw (1991). "3". ESO's Early History. ESO.
- ^ "About La Silla". Retrieved 2011-05-02.
- ^ "About La Silla". Retrieved 2011-04-29.
- ^ Lodewijk Woltjer (2006). Europe's Quest for the Universe. EDP Sciences. p. 27.
- ^ Lodewijk Woltjer (2006). Europe's Quest for the Universe. EDP Sciences. p. 35.
- ^ "La Silla Observatory, A Dictionary of Astronomy". Retrieved 2011-04-29.
- ^ "Telescopes and Instrumentation". Retrieved 2011-05-02.
- ^ "La Silla Telescopes Overview". Retrieved 2011-05-02.
- ^ "Telescopes and Instrumentation, the ESO 3.6-metre Telescope" (Table on the right of the page). Retrieved 2011-05-02.
- ^ "Telescopes and Instrumentation, the ESO 3.6-metre Telescope". Retrieved 2011-05-02.
- ^ "The ESO 3.6m Telescope, Introduction". Retrieved 2011-05-02.
- ^ "The ESO New Technology Telescope". Retrieved 2011-05-02.
- ^ "The ESO New Technology Telescope, Overview". Retrieved 2011-05-02.
- ^ "Telescopes and Instrumentation, MPG/ESO 2.2-metre Telescope". Retrieved 2011-05-02.
- ^ a b "National and Project Telescopes". Retrieved 2011-04-29.
- ^ "Extrasolar Planet in Double Star System Discovered from La Silla". ESO. 24 November 1998. Retrieved 2011-04-29.
- ^ "Southern Sky extrasolar Planet search Programme". Retrieved 2011-10-05.
- ^ "The Danish Telescope at La Silla". Retrieved 2011-04-29.
- ^ "Rapid Eye Mount". Retrieved 2011-04-29.
- ^ "TAROT website". Retrieved 2011-05-04.
- ^ Kelly Beatty (8 November 2010). "Former 'tenth planet' may be smaller than Pluto". Newscientist.
- ^ "La Silla". ESO. Retrieved 2011-05-02.
- ^ "Astronomers Find First Earth-like Planet in Habitable Zone". ESO. 25 April 2007. Retrieved 2011-04-28.
- ^ "WFI - Wide Field Imager". ESO. 19 May 2014.
- ^ "Oddball Spiral Galaxy Is Flat as a Pancake". Space.com. 2 February 2011. Retrieved 2011-04-29.
- ^ "Morning Light Over La Silla". www.eso.org. European Southern Observatory. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
- ^ "Cloud City in a Galaxy Far, Far Away..." Retrieved 18 June 2015.