Red-hot Chile peepers: secrets of the Very Large Telescope

The Very Large Telescope (VLT) at Paranal Observatory in northern Chile is the world's biggest optical telescope.

Run by the European Southern Observatory (ESO), it became fully operational in 2000 and is packed with cutting-edge instruments.

The BBC Technology reporter Katia Moskvitch went to Paranal to see how the VLT actually works.

The people interviewed in the package are: 1. Jean-Philippe Berger, VLT astronomer, Paranal Observatory; 2. Stephane Guisard, VLT engineer, Paranal Observatory

The time-lapse images of stars and the Laser Guide Star are provided by ESO, as well as the first image of the Milky Way over Paranal.

Katia Moskvitch was on secondment to ESO for two months leading up to her trip to Chile.