Images of the magnitude 8 star obtained – before (left) and after (right) the NAOS-CONICA adaptive optics system was switched on. The panel displays the 3-D intensity profiles of these images and shows the tremendous improvement in image sharpness. Copyright: European Southern Observatory ESO's VLT consists of four 8-m telescopes, which should one day work in unison and simulate the resolution of a huge single instrument through interferometry – a technique familiar to astronomers using radio telescopes. For now, the images from each telescope are being sharpened up through adaptive optics. This procedure deforms mirrors to overcome the distorting effects of the Earth's atmosphere and allows telescopes to reach their true potential.

On 25 November 2001 the VLT was pointed at a magnitude 8 star. When the NAOS-CONICA unit was switched on, the stellar image reduced in diameter from 0.50 arcseconds to 0.07 arcseconds (for reference 1 arcsecond is the angle subtended by a fingernail at a distance of 3 km). The star was observed in near-infrared light from the K-band of the spectrum.

Scientists have used a new adaptive optics system on the European Southern Observatory's (ESO) Very Large Telescope (VLT) to obtain images at a resolution of 0.07 arcseconds – comparable to the quality of those sent back by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST).