Paranal Observatory

observatory, Chile

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July 16, 2026

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zodiacal light Zodiacal light seen from Paranal Observatory, Cerro Paranal, Atacama Desert, northern Chile.

The Paranal Observatory is an astronomical observatory located in Chile. It is home to the Very Large Telescope (VLT), which consists of four 8.2-meter telescopes and four 1.8-meter telescopes. These telescopes can work together as an interferometer, functioning like a single telescope with a 200-meter mirror. The VLT has made significant discoveries, including the first direct spectrum of an extrasolar planet and the most massive known star. The observatory is operated by the European Southern Observatory (ESO), an organization supported by 16 European countries.12

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European Southern Observatory
…the Very Large Telescope (Paranal Observatory) on Paranal, a 2,600-metre- (8,600-foot-) high mountain about 130 km (80 miles) south of Antofagasta, and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) located about 50 km (30 miles) east of San Pedro de Atacama on the Chajnantor plateau at an altitude of 5,000…
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…the Very Large Telescope (Paranal Observatory) on Paranal, a 2,600-metre- (8,600-foot-) high mountain about 130 km (80 miles) south of Antofagasta, and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) located about 50 km (30 miles) east of San Pedro de Atacama on the Chajnantor plateau at an altitude of 5,000…
Read More