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VLT Mirror Revamp: Engineers Maintain Telescope for Exoplanet Discovery

10/7/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Jaime González, an engineer, oversees maintenance of the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile's Atacama Desert, keeping its 25-ton mirror.
Dust and pollutants necessitate periodic aluminum coating replacement.
Engineers remove the mirror, inspect for particles, strip old aluminum, and apply a new aluminum layer 80 nanometers thick, supporting ongoing detailed observations of exoplanets and supermassive black holes.

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Story summary

Jaime González, an engineer, oversees maintenance of the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile's Atacama Desert, keeping its 25-ton mirror.
Dust and pollutants necessitate periodic aluminum coating replacement.
Engineers remove the mirror, inspect for particles, strip old aluminum, and apply a new aluminum layer 80 nanometers thick, supporting ongoing detailed observations of exoplanets and supermassive black holes.