but this technique will revolutionize the The project received support from - F. Merkle (1988), "Adaptive Optics De- exploitation of the next-generation tele- ESO, the Ministere de la Recherche et velopment at ESO, Proceedings of the scopes, such as the ESO VLT, and, in de la Technologie (France), Ministere de ESO Conference on "Very Large Tele- many cases, compete with observations ['Education Nationale, Direction de la scopes and their Instrumentation", Garch- carried out by telescopes deployed in Recherche (France), Universite Paris VII, ing 21 -24 March, 1988. - P. Kern, P. Lena, G. Rousset, J.C. Fon- space. Centre National de la Recherche Scien- tanella, F. Merkle, J.P. Gaffard (1988), A scientific-technical paper, describ- tifique (CNRS) and lnstitut National des "Prototype of an adaptive optical system ing the first adaptive optics results, is Sciences de I'Univers (INSU). for infrared astronomy", ref. as above. expected to appear soon in Astronomy The early development of critical opti- - F. Merkle (1988), in SPlE Proceedings & Astrophysics. cal components of the system has been 1013: "Optical Design Methods, Applica- independently supported by La Direc- tions and Large Optics", Hamburg, F. R.G;, September 1988. Acknowledgements tion des Recherches et Etudes Tech- niques (DRET), Ministere de la Defense, - P. Kern, P. Lena, J.C. Fontanella, G. The design and construction of this France. Rousset, F. Merkle, J.P. Gaffard (1989) in SPlE Proceedings 114: Symposium on system is the product of a three-year "Aerospace Sensing", Orlando, FI., March effort, involving a collaboration between 1989. the European Southern Observatory (ESO), Observatoire de Paris, the Office References National dJEtudes et de Recherches For additional references the following pa- Aerospatiales, and LASERDOT. pers are recommended:

Astronomical Observations With the NTT During Commissioning M. TARENGHI, ESO

It was with particular pleasure and instrument whose performance was ures 1-4) are spectacular examples of emotion that I received the first as- even better than expected. As an as- the possibilities of the new telescope. tronomical images obtained with the tronomer it was fascinating to see new It is important to understand the value N7T from Chile. As the N7T Project details of objects which are being ex- and limits of these observations ob- Manager it was satisfying to see that the plored by many of us with other tele- tained during the commissioning phase work of many - both inside and outside scopes but at lower resolution. of the N7T which represents a complex ESO - had converged to produce an The illustrations of 4 images (Fig- and delicate period for a new telescope.

Figure 1: NGC 6300. The short exposure of only 30 seconds of this Figure 2: NGC 681. An edge-on dust spiral. SB shows dust features in the inner part and on the nucleus that resemble the horse head in the Orion . Seeing is 0.7 arcsec. Figure 3: IC 4662. Magellanic Cloud type irregular galaxy at the Figure 4: NGC 613. The spectacular bar spiral SBb in wnicn - rnanks distance of 4 Mpc studied with ESO telescopes in 1983 by M. Rosa to the high resolution in this NTTpicture - one can detect the detailed and G. Schnur. Evidence of violent formation activities was structure of dust filaments. Two major dust lanes extend along the detected. The galaxy is resolved in this NTimage which shows very bar into the nuclear region. clearly the two giant HI1 regions embedded in a super association. Seeing 0.65 arcsec.

All images were obtained without the point that the observer will be discour- than that forecast required greater adapterhotator, therefore without the aged to operate the NlT with the flaps tuning. on-line active optics system. Moreover closed. The first visiting astronomer is ex- the modifications of the support system The commissioning work is proceed- pected mid-January and we are impa- with the activation of the three fixed ing actively and the adapterhotator No. 1 tient to receive constructive criticism to points was not implemented. Except for was mechanically and electronically in- make even greater improvements on the the region around the zenith, the optical stalled on the NlT in October. During the NlT. In April 1990 the second adapter/ quality was not optimal and we expect month of November the modifications of rotator will be implemented and May/ to be able to guarantee perfect images the fixed points were started and the June will see the integration of EMMI. It all over the sky only with the full im- implementation of the image analyser will be commissioned during the Euro- plementation of the adapterhotator and and guiding system initiated. For the pean summer. its image analyzer. second half of December the NlT will I would not like to complete this report In the course of the last months many perform in its complete configuration without taking the opportunity to thank experiments have been performed on with EFOSC 2 at the Nasmyth focus. all those who have observed with the the seeing of the NlT. Studies of the The 9 months from the first light ob- NlT in this critical period, for their unre- behaviour of the rotating building, its tained on 23 March to the first deep lenting passion and understanding for flaps and windscreen, clearly indicate exposure seems at first sight to be very the inevitable number of difficulties and the advantages of this new design and long but the complexity of the Nl7 and conflicts between technical necessity the importance of the flaps to the the need to cope with a seeing better and astronomical dreams.

The First Observations With the NTT J. MELNICK, ESO

1. Introduction The NlT was used for astronomical remarkably well during both runs, so scope without the instrument rotator/ observations during two runs in May there was ample time for astronomical adapter and this meant that for most and August 1989. Both the telescope observations. positions on the sky the exposure times and the instrument (EFOSC2) worked EFOSC2 was bolted onto the tele- could not exceed a few minutes.