Editing Very Large Telescope (section)

== Scientific results ==
[[File:Orion Watches over Paranal - potw2009a.jpg|thumb|left|The soft glow of the Milky Way can be seen behind the VLT Survey Telescope (VST) at ESO's Paranal Observatory.<ref>{{cite web|title=Orion Watches over Paranal|url=https://www.eso.org/public/images/potw2009a/|access-date=2 March 2020}}</ref>]]
Results from the VLT have led to the publication of an average of more than one peer-reviewed scientific paper per day. For instance in 2017, over 600 refereed scientific papers were published based on VLT data.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eso.org/sci/libraries/edocs/ESO/ESOstats.pdf| title = ESO Publication Statistics| access-date = 6 August 2018}}</ref> The telescope's scientific discoveries include direct imaging of [[Beta Pictoris b]], the first extrasolar planet so imaged,<ref>{{cite news |date=21 November 2008 |title=Beta Pictoris planet finally imaged? |url=http://www.eso.org/public/news/eso0842/ |publisher=ESO | access-date=4 May 2011}}</ref> tracking individual stars moving around the [[supermassive black hole]] at the centre of the Milky Way,<ref>{{cite news |date=10 December 2008 |title=Unprecedented 16-Year Long Study Tracks Stars Orbiting Milky Way Black Hole |url=http://www.eso.org/public/news/eso0846/ |publisher=ESO | access-date=4 May 2011}}</ref> and observing the afterglow of the furthest known [[gamma-ray burst]].<ref>{{cite news |date=19 September 2008 |title=NASA's Swift Catches Farthest Ever Gamma-Ray Burst |url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/swift/bursts/farthest_grb.html |publisher=NASA | access-date=4 May 2011}}</ref>

In 2018, the VLT helped to perform the first successful test of [[Albert Einstein]]'s [[General relativity|General Relativity]] on the motion of a star passing through the extreme gravitational field near the supermassive black hole, that is the [[gravitational redshift]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.eso.org/public/news/eso1825/|title=First Successful Test of Einstein's General Relativity Near Supermassive Black Hole – Culmination of 26 years of ESO observations of the heart of the Milky Way|last=|website=eso.org|language=en-GB|access-date=28 July 2018}}</ref> In fact, the observation has been conducted for over 26 years with the SINFONI and NACO adaptive optics instruments in the VLT while the new approach in 2018 also used the beam-combiner instrument GRAVITY.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=GRAVITY Collaboration|last2=Abuter|first2=R.|last3=Amorim|first3=A.|last4=Anugu|first4=N.|last5=Bauböck|first5=M.|last6=Benisty|first6=M.|last7=Berger|first7=J. P.|last8=Blind|first8=N.|last9=Bonnet|first9=H.|date=24 July 2018|title=Detection of the gravitational redshift in the orbit of the star S2 near the Galactic centre massive black hole|journal=Astronomy & Astrophysics|volume=615|issue=15|pages=L15|arxiv=1807.09409|doi=10.1051/0004-6361/201833718|bibcode=2018A&A...615L..15G|s2cid=118891445}}</ref> The Galactic Centre team at the [[Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics]] (MPE) used these observations to reveal these effects for the first time.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mpe.mpg.de/6930756/news20180726|title=First Successful Test of Einstein's General Relativity Near Supermassive Black Hole|website=mpe.mpg.de|access-date=28 July 2018}}</ref>

Other discoveries with VLT's signature include the detection of carbon monoxide molecules in a galaxy located almost 11 billion light-years away for the first time, a feat that had remained elusive for 25 years. This has allowed astronomers to obtain the most precise measurement of the cosmic temperature at such a remote epoch.<ref>{{cite news |date=13 May 2008 |title=A Molecular Thermometer for the Distant Universe |url=http://www.eso.org/public/news/eso0813/ |publisher=ESO | access-date=5 April 2011}}</ref> Another important study was that of the violent flares from the supermassive black hole at the centre of the Milky Way. The VLT and APEX teamed up to reveal material being stretched out as it orbits in the intense gravity close to the central black hole.<ref>{{cite news |date=18 October 2008 |title=Astronomers detect matter torn apart by black hole |url=http://www.eso.org/public/news/eso0841/ |publisher=ESO | access-date=5 April 2011}}</ref>

Using the VLT, astronomers have also estimated the age of extremely old stars in the [[NGC 6397]] cluster. Based on [[stellar evolution]] models, two stars were found to be 13.4 ±&nbsp;0.8 billion years old, that is, they are [[Chronology of the universe#Earliest structures and stars emerge|from the earliest era of star formation]] in the Universe.<ref>{{cite news |date=17 August 2004 |title=How Old is the Milky Way? |url=http://www.eso.org/public/news/eso0425/ |publisher=ESO | access-date=5 April 2011}}</ref> They have also analysed the atmosphere around a super-Earth exoplanet for the first time using the VLT. The planet, which is known as [[Gliese 1214 b|GJ 1214b]], was studied as it passed in front of its parent star and some of the starlight passed through the planet's atmosphere.<ref>{{cite news |date=13 January 2010 |title=VLT Captures First Direct Spectrum of an Exoplanet |url=http://www.eso.org/public/news/eso1002/ |publisher=ESO | access-date=5 April 2011}}</ref>

In all, of the top 10 discoveries done at ESO's observatories, seven made use of the VLT.<ref name="esotopdisc">{{cite web |url=http://www.eso.org/public/science/top10.html |title=ESO Top 10 Astronomical Discoveries
|publisher=ESO |access-date=5 August 2011}}</ref>

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File:Very Large Telescope against a beautiful twilight on Cerro Paranal.jpg
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