ESOcast 196 Light: 20 Years of exploring the Universe

ESO is celebrating the twentieth anniversary of one of the VLT’s most versatile instruments, the FOcal Reducer and low dispersion Spectrograph -- FORS2.

FORS2 — which was originally accompanied by its twin FORS1 — is an instrument mounted on one of the VLT's 8.2-metre Unit Telescopes at Paranal. Its ability to image large areas of the sky in exceptional detail has made it a coveted member of ESO's fleet of cutting-edge scientific instruments. Since its first light twenty years ago, FORS2 has become known as “the Swiss army knife of instruments”. This moniker originates from its uniquely broad set of functions. FORS2’s versatility extends beyond purely scientific uses — its ability to capture beautiful high-quality images makes it a particularly useful tool for public outreach.

The video is available in 4K UHD.

The ESOcast Light is a series of short videos bringing you the wonders of the Universe in bite-sized pieces. The ESOcast Light episodes will not be replacing the standard, longer ESOcasts, but complement them with current astronomy news and images in ESO press releases.