Fine images of Saturn and Io with VLT NAOS-CONICA

With its new NAOS-CONICA Adaptive Optics facility, the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) at the Paranal Observatory has recently obtained impressive views of the giant planet Saturn and Io, the volcanic moon of Jupiter.

They show the two objects with great clarity, unprecedented for a ground-based telescope. The photos were made during the ongoing commissioning of this major VLT instrument, while it is being optimized and prepared for regular observations that will start later this year.

The full text of this ESO Photo Release, with three photos and all weblinks, is available at the ESO website at:

http://www.eso.org/outreach/press-rel/pr-2002/phot-04-02.html

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