4MOST Media: Photo and Video Documentation
Welcome to the media page of the 4MOST project at the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP). Here you will find a comprehensive collection of photos and videos documenting the development, integration, and preparation of 4MOST – one of Europe’s largest ground-based astronomical instruments.
These materials are available for editorial use. Please credit the AIP or the indicated source when publishing. For additional media content or inquiries, feel free to contact presse@aip.de.
Currently at AIP
At AIP in Potsdam, the last components are currently being prepared for transportation to Chile. Parts of the AESOP fiber positioner, the fiber system and the high-resolution spectrograph can currently still be seen in the Leibnizhaus integration hall.
The Leibnizhaus, where the final components of 4MOST are still visible in the integration hall.
Credit: AIP
The Fibre Positioner System (AESOP) is a robotic system that simultaneously positions 2436 glass fibres to catch the light of stars and galaxies and transfer it to the spectrographs.
Credit: AIP
The fibre system transports light from the telescope to the spectrographs through glass fibres of 85 micron diameter, about the diameter of a human hair. The picture shows about 200 black, plastic conduits that hold 10–15 fibres each ending in the colourful connectors at the back of the AESOP positioner system.
Credit: AIP
The High Resolution Spectrograph (HRS) breaks the light of 812 objects in its colours with high precision and detail. This allows accurate velocity measurements and provides detailed information on chemical element abundances in the target objects.
Credit: AIPParanal in Chile and VISTA Telescope - Future Home of 4MOST
The 4MOST instrument is being installed at the VISTA telescope, which belongs to ESO'S Paranal Observatorium in the Chilenian Atacama Desert.
The Milky Way just before sunrise at Cerro Paranal, Chile.
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
Evening at Paranal
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
Sunset at Parnanal
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
The hilly landscape at Paranal. On the large hill you can just see the Very Large Telescope with its 4 domes. The VISTA telescope is on to the right on the smaller hill.
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
The VISTA telescope from afar
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
The Paranal Observatory is located in the Atacama desert in Chile.
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
The VISTA telescope (left), in the background the Very Large Telescope (4 domes, right). The Milky Way and the Magellanic Clouds are visible in the sky.
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
The VISTA telescope building at sunset
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
The VISTA telescope with open dome slit
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
The VISTA telescope with open dome slit at night
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
During the installation at the VISTA telescope
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
View from above at the VISTA telescope
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
View from above to the front of the VISTA telescope, with a view into the hall below, from where the 4MOST components are brought to the telescope by crane.
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
The VISTA telescope with Cassegrain Cable Wrap unit
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
The VISTA telescope with Cassegrain Cable Wrap unit. At the left you can still see the stand of the unit (orange).
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
Preparations at the VISTA telescope 2019
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
Installation of 4MOST at the VISTA telescope in Chile
Since 2024, first components of 4MOST have been installed and tested at the VISTA telescope.
A forklift truck brings the crates containing the 4MOST components to the ground floor of the VISTA telescope building.
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
Forklift truck with one of the 4MOST crates on its way to the VISTA telescope building.
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
The Cassegrain Cable Wrap (CaCW) prevents twisting or tearing of cables and opitcal fibres during rotation of the telescope.
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
The Cassegrain Cable Wrap is being installed at the VISTA telescope
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
Installation of 4MOST components at the VISTA telescope
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
Installation of 4MOST components at the VISTA telescope
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
The VISTA telescope. The Cassegrain Cable Wrap and the AESOP fibre positioner, which aligns the 2436 individual glass fibres very precisely to the desired celestial objects, are already installed.
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
The VISTA telescope with open dome
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
The Focal Surface Test Tool just before installation
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
The Focal Surface Test Tool is being brought to the telescope via crane.
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
The Focal Surface Test Tool next to the VISTA telescope
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
The "Aquisition, Guiding and Wavefront Sensor Unit" (AGW) keeps the telescope pointed on targets and optics in correct shape during observations.
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
The AWG unit is being installed.
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
The Wide Field Corrector, a system of lenses with 65 to 90 cm diameter, for correcting optical abberations
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
The Wide Field Corrector in its stand before installation
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
The Wide Field Corrector directly above the ground opening through which it was lifted to the telescope
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
The wide field corrector ‘floats’ to the telescope.
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
Installation of the Wide Field Corrector
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
The Wide-Field Corrector is brought to the telescope via crane.
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
Wide-angle image of the WFC in front of the VISTA telescope
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
The Wide Field Corrector is carefully being integrated into the telescope.
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
View into the lenses of the Wide Field Corrector
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
Installation of 4MOST components at the VISTA telescope
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
Some members of the 4MOST installation team. Many employees from various scientific and technical departments of the AIP were on site to carry out the installation and tests.
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
The 4MOST team in front of the VISTA telescope building
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
Transport preparations in Potsdam
The ‘Cassegrain Cable Wrap’ unit was the first large 4MOST component to be sent on its way to Chile in February 2024 after extensive testing in Potsdam.
The Cassegrain Cable Wrap in AIP's integration hall in Potsdam in July 2023.
Credit: AIP
The Cassegrain Cable Wrap is preparement for its shipment to Chile.
Credit: AIP
Everything is neatly sorted and packed for transport.
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
The stand of the Cable Wrap also needs to be packed and shipped.
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
A 4MOST component often requires several crates, which are shipped to Chile by land, air and/or sea.
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
The 4MOST Cable Wrap System during its packaging in preparation for shipping.
Credit: AIP/A. Saviauk
Loading a container with 4MOST components onto a lorry in front of the AIP's Schwarzschildhaus, where one of the AIP's integration halls is located.
Credit: AIP
The lorry has already loaded both containers and will start its journey.
Credit: AIP
May 2025: The last, smaller componts for 4MOST are packed into transport boxes.
Credit: AIP
Carefully packed, the last load will soon start its journey to Chile.
Credit: AIP
The boxes in front of the Schwarzschildhaus which houses one of the AIP's integration halls.
Credit: AIP
Integration and testing at AIP in Potsdam
The AIP is equipped with two integration halls. There, technicians, engineers and scientists can thoroughly examine various observation instruments and their individual components and test their interaction with each other.
The Leibnizhaus integration hall of the AIP with several 4MOST components in March 2022. The individual parts were produced at various locations, delivered to Potsdam and assembled and extensively tested here at the AIP.
Credit: AIP/A. Kelz
In the AIP integration hall in the Leibnizhaus
Credit: AIP/A. Kelz
The telescope stand, back view. The 4MOST components are installed at this stand for testing their functionality.
Credit: AIP
The AESOP fibre positioner arrived from Australia in October 2023 in Potsdam. Overview of the boxes with the individual components.
Credit: AIP
The team that accompanied the unpacking of the AESOP components.
Credit: AIP
Brief discussion when unpacking the 4MOST components
Credit: AIP
Each box must be openend carefully and checked for its content.
Credit: AIP
During unboxing of the 4MOST components
Credit: AIP
AESOP is used to align the 2436 glass fibres precisely to the desired celestial objects so that their light can be analysed.
Credit: AIP
Assembly of one of the 4MOST spectrographs in the Leibnizhaus integration hall of the AIP
Credit: AIP
The lens is being moved by crane to the correct position.
Credit: AIP
The spectrographs for 4MOST will split the light of stars and galaxies into its colour components.
Credit: AIP
Specialists and careful teamwork are required to assemble the individual components.
Credit: AIP
Looking through the new Wide Field Corrector of the 4MOST instrument. The special coatings on the 65-to-90-centimetre diameter lenses in the corrector cause colourful reflections of the bright fluorescence lights on the ceiling of the integration hall at AIP.
Credit: 4MOST/M. Cunningham
Videos
General Information about 4MOST
News about 4MOST at the AIP website
- February 2024: 4MOST milestone: first major shipment to Chile
- April 2022: 4MOST spectograph sees first light in Potsdam
- October 2021: Starlight catching system for 4MOST is unpacked in Potsdam
- March 2019: Milky Way and beyond: Next Generation Survey Telescope
- August 2016: ESO and AIP sign agreement to build 4MOST
Talk about 4MOST on YouTube
- Zukunft der Astronomie • Entschlüsselung des Universums mit 4MOST | Joar Brynnel, Andreas Kelz (German)
- Exploring the Universe & the Future of Sky Observation • 4MOST | Roelof de Jong (English)
4MOST project website
Overview of the components of the 4MOST instrument
Credit: 4MOST Consortium