Fifteen years of discovery: The Very Large Telescope's legacy of astronomical insight

This video marks the fifteenth anniversary of the Very Large Telescope, showcasing its evolution from a single unit into a powerhouse of ground-based astronomy. It highlights the facility's immense scientific productivity through a visual journey of its most spectacular observations.

Since achieving first light on its inaugural unit telescope in 1998, the Very Large Telescope (VLT) has expanded significantly. The original four giant telescopes are now complemented by four smaller auxiliary telescopes, which together form the VLT Interferometer (VLTI).

The facility remains a cornerstone of modern research, demonstrating its impact through high output; in 2012 alone, the VLT and VLTI provided the data for over 600 refereed scientific papers. The video provides a year-by-year retrospective of the telescope's operational history, featuring imagery captured by the observatory.

Source: ESOcast 57: ESO´s VLT Celebrates 15 Years of Success