A New View of the Cosmos: VST’s Images Offer a Glimpse Into Distant Galactic Interactions

New images from the VLT Survey Telescope depict distant galaxies, including the lenticular ESO 510-G13 and Hickson Compact Group 90, highlighting interactions and the effects of gravity in shaping galaxy formations.

The VLT Survey Telescope (VST) is an optical telescope located at the European Southern Observatory’s Paranal Observatory in Chile. It utilizes a powerful 2.6-meter diameter mirror and a wide field camera, the OmegaCAM, to capture extensive areas of the sky—each image covering an area twice the size of the full Moon’s apparent diameter. The VST, built entirely in Italy, opened in 2011 but is now managed by INAF through the National Coordination Centre for VST.