Is access to the VLT Unit Telescopes allowed at night?
During observations, not even the astronomers and operator are present in the telescope building. For safety reasons and in order to avoid light and heat contamination, access to the telescopes is restricted to authorised personnel, and only when absolutely needed. Once the telescope is ready to start observations, the engineer hands it over to the astronomer and it is operated remotely from a control room in a separate building.
