ESO

Tunnel vision!

Step inside the tunnels below our Paranal Observatory in #Chile. They connect the Unit Telescopes, which comprise the Very Large Telescope (VLT), to the control building where the VLT and its instruments are operated by observing teams.

And no worries: despite the eerie, sci-fi atmosphere, no drooling, man-eating aliens are roaming there, just astronomers and engineers 😉

Read more: https://www.eso.org/public/images/potw2624a/

📷 L. Sbordone/ESO

#astrodon #astronomy #astrophysics #space #science

Jun 15 at 7:47amWeb
Show threadKrahaborsJun 15
@esoastronomy just drooling, man-eating astronomers and engineers
Show threadpinkJun 15
@krahabors
Like at the LHC at CERN 😄
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-NwLUPZWZc
@esoastronomy
Decay (2012) - The LHC Zombie Movie [full film]

YouTube
Show threadGraham Sutherland / PolynomialJun 15
@esoastronomy I'm always amused that it got called the Very Large Telescope, as if it were the successor to the Pretty Big Telescope and the Mostly Average-Sized Telescope
Show threadGraham Sutherland / PolynomialJun 15
@esoastronomy (although you're not allowed to use that last one; CCFE already has dibs on the name "MAST")
Show threadgnarfJun 15
@gsuberland @esoastronomy Soooo, are you aware about the Extremely Large Telescope currently under construction? Or the Overwhelmingly Large Telescope, for which the plans got scrapped? :D
Show threadGraham Sutherland / PolynomialJun 15
@gnarf @esoastronomy yup!
Show threadorfanikJun 15
@esoastronomy
Could you post some pictures from the interferometric tunnels? 👀
Show threadESOJun 15
@orfanik You're in luck, we recently published a video showing how those tunnels work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTk_bMcr4rs
These underground tunnels observe the Universe

YouTube
Show threadZillionJun 15
@esoastronomy No drooling, man-eating aliens are roaming there _yet._