An Overview of VLTI
The Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) is an astronomical interferometer of the European Southern Observatory (ESO). It is composed of four Unit Telescopes with a diameter of 8.2 metres and four 1.8 metre Auxiliary Telescopes, which are located on three different sites in Chile: Cerro Paranal, La Silla and Chajnantor.
The VLTi allows for nanometre-precision measurements of stellar diameters, shapes of galaxies and exoplanets, as well as providing spectroscopic information with unprecedented accuracy. The instrument has been used to discover an extrasolar planet orbiting the star Alpha Centauri B, and to study the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy.
The VLTi is unique in its ability to combine light from multiple telescopes over extremely long baselines, providing scientists with a powerful tool to probe the Universe.