Zodiacal Light and the Very Large Telescope

The 360-degree panorama displays the starry sky of Chile and the Milky Way above Cerro Paranal observatory; one of the world’s best sites for astronomical observations and the location for the Very Large Telescope array. The four 8-meter diameter telescopes of the VLT are exploring the cosmos. The zodiacal light is visible on the left (sunlight reflected from dust in the Solar System). Planet Venus shines in the same direction. Over the south the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds are visible near the horizon. Click on the second photo to see this view some minutes earlier during the twilight.