Most efficient spectrograph to shoot the southern skies

The first of the second generation Very Large Telescope instrument, X-shooter, is now ready to start routine observations. X-shooter is unique among astronomical instruments installed at large telescopes, as it can record the entire spectrum of a celestial object in one shot - from the ultraviolet to the near-infrared - with great sensitivity and spectral resolution. (c) ESO

Most efficient spectrograph to shoot the southern skies

Science Centric (25 May 2009 13:35 GMT) - ESO's Very Large Telescope - Europe's flagship facility for ground-based astronomy - has been equipped with the first of its second generation instruments: X-shooter. It can record the entire spectrum of a celestial object in one shot - from the ultraviolet to the near-infrared - with high sensitivity. This unique new instrument will be particularly useful for the study of distant exploding objects called gamma-ray bursts... [full story]