New Technology Telescope The 3.58-metre New Technology Telescope
(NTT) was inaugurated in 1989. It broke new ground for telescope
engineering and design and was the first in the world to have a
computer-controlled main mirror. The main mirror is flexible and
its shape is actively adjusted during observations by actuators
to preserve the optimal image quality. The secondary mirror
position is also actively controlled in three directions. This
technology, developed by ESO, known as active optics, is now
applied to all major modern telescopes, such as the Very Large
Telescope at Cerro Paranal and the future European Extremely
Large Telescope. The design of the octagonal enclosure housing
the NTT is another technological breakthrough. The telescope
dome is relatively small, and is ventilated by a system of flaps
that makes air flow smoothly across the mirror, reducing
turbulence and leading to sharper images. Star formation,
protoplanetary systems, Galactic center, spectroscopy. - Images
taken with NTT - Images o