The 4MOST telescope captures its first light and begins observing 77,000 stars
Oct 22, 2025
EETAC professor Alberto Rebassa participates in this international project led by the UPC, involving 18 institutions and universities from different countries.
The first light, obtained on October 18 by the 4-metre Multi-Object Spectroscopic Telescope (4MOST), marks the beginning of the scientific journey of this instrument, installed on the VISTA Telescope (Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy) at the European Southern Observatory, located at Cerro Paranal, Chile.
In this first observation, the instrument analyzed the light of various cosmic objects —notably the Sculptor Galaxy and the NGC288 globular cluster— and collected a spectrum for each of the observed objects, allowing researchers to study their properties such as chemical composition and temperature.
According to Alberto Rebassa, “it is incredibly exciting to see 4MOST reach its first light. The scientific community has dedicated years of hard work to bring us to this point, and it is deeply rewarding to see everything come together. The scope of the science that 4MOST enables is truly impressive, and I’m sure the data will drive a real revolution in astronomy. I can’t wait to start collecting spectra and see what new discoveries await us.”
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